Locusts invade UP's Banda, Chitrakoot district; minor damage to crops

Small swarms of locusts from the jungles of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh attacked villages of Banda and Chitrakoot districts in Uttar Pradesh, following which villagers beat drums to chase them away, officials said on Friday.Agriculture officers and their teams are regularly monitoring the villages, he said. District agriculture officer, Banda, Pramod Kumar said that swarm of locusts attacked some villages but there was no major damage anywhere.

Small swarms of locusts from the jungles of neighboring Madhya Pradesh attacked villages of Banda and Chitrakoot districts in Uttar Pradesh, following which villagers beat drums to chase them away, officials said on Friday. According to SDM, Atarra in Banda, Jaiprakash Yadav, there has been minor damage to crops at some places.

He said locusts on Thursday invaded Turra, Bhusani, Udaipur, Banai, Gautampur, Atarra rural, Naktapurva, Mudwara, Chandaur and Pohar villages but farmers chased them away. Agriculture officers and their teams are regularly monitoring the villages, he said.

District agriculture officer, Banda, Pramod Kumar said that swarm of locusts attacked some villages but there was no major damage anywhere. The swam later flew back to the forests of Madhya Pradesh.

The district agriculture officer of Chitrkoot, Dharmendra Awasthi, said that swarms of locusts reached Aujhar, Sariya, Chibau, Naandi and other villages but the farmers were vigilant.