Centre said IAF helicopters will be used to control locust swarms in Rajasthan: Agriculture department

BR Kadwa, Deputy Director of State Agriculture Department on Wednesday said that the Centre is planning to use helicopters to control the locust swarms which are entering Rajasthan from Pakistan.

BR Kadwa, Deputy Director of State Agriculture Department on Wednesday said that the Centre is planning to use helicopters to control the locust swarms which are entering Rajasthan from Pakistan. "Locust attack has been ongoing for 1.5 months. Rajasthan is one of the most affected states as some districts - Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Ganganagar - share border with Pakistan from where locusts are entering other districts," Kadwa said.

"Operations are on to control them. The issue is, we had killed older swarms but new swarms are coming now. The government of India says that Air Force helicopters will also be used to control it. Locusts have made border areas near Pakistan their breeding centres from where they're coming here and Pakistan is unable to control them," he added. The official also said that with the fast-approaching monsoon season, the new swarms can also set up breeding grounds in the desert areas of the state which could further aggravate the problem.

Meanwhile, teams of Agriculture Department carried out chemical spraying in Phagi panchayat of Jaipur district to control the swarms of locusts, amid locust attack there. Earlier, aerial spraying of insecticides is being done by drones in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Nagore and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan for locust control, said Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

The Ministry said, "Under Make in India initiative in locust control, trials of prototype vehicle mounted ULV sprayer has been successfully conducted in Ajmer and Bikaner; approvals required for commercial launch are underway." "Aerial spraying of insecticides is being done by drones in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Nagore and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan for locust control in inaccessible areas and for effective control over tall trees," the Ministry said.

United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization has appreciated that India is the first country in the world which is controlling Desert Locust through Drones, it added. (ANI)

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