2020, what’s this behaviour? Why are you doing this to us? As if a pandemic wasn’t enough, you also brought cyclones, earthquakes, and protests. At least 408k people across the globe have already lost the battle to COVID-19 and 7.5 million people are fighting the virus. Out of these, 287k cases have been confirmed in India. And now you are introducing us to locust attacks that are threatening our country’s food security.
Last month large swarms of locusts overran several residential localities of Jaipur. And just when we were beginning to forget about them, another army of locusts earlier today entered farmlands in Maharashtra’s Nagpur and Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district. But that’s not it. According to media reports, the next locust attack is expected in mid-July.
In Pictures & Videos: Locust Attack In UP
Locusts, which are part of the grasshopper family, are considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world, and a single swarm covering one square kilometre can contain up to 80 million locusts. According to KL Gurjar, deputy director at Locust Warning Organisation, the wind directions have been directing the pests to fly towards farmlands situated near Nagpur.
In UP, the swarms attacked Koraon village and development clocks in Meja village. “We are trying our best to chase them away,” said Akansha Rana, SDM, Karchana in a media statement.
The United Nations (UN) has warned that armies of locusts swarming across continents pose a “severe risk” to India’s agriculture this year. Authorities across the country have stepped up vigil, deployed drones to detect their movement and minimise the damage.
We are praying for the farmers as these attacks pose a threat to their livelihoods as well as our food security.
Featured Image: Twitter