Swarms Of Locusts Attack Maharashtra After 17 Years

Mumbai: A swarm of locusts wreaked havoc in Maharashtra on Tuesday, 17 years after the last attack in Dhule in 1993.

The major districts affected are Amravati, Vardha and Nagpur where they attacked the orange orchards of Katol in Nagpur, neem trees in Morshi and Warud in Amravati.

Since the sowing season in the state is 14-days away, the insects will not be able to damage major food crops. However, fruit orchards and vegetable farms are likely to be under threat by the crop munching insects.

“An escaping population of desert locusts made their way from Madhya Pradesh into Amravati district on May 24 due to the current wind direction and the presence of forest patches where they can grow and breed as well as citrus trees. In over 48 hours, they have covered to two more districts showing unusual swarming behaviour,” Deputy Director of Locust Warning Organisation, Dr KL Gurjar told Hindustan Times.

At present, a 25 per cent loss of orchards is expected. The insects could destroy hectares of cabbage, ladyfinger, cauliflower, and kidney beans crops en route Nagpur..

Meanwhile, the government has started spraying pesticides to kill the insects across all the three affected districts, an official said.

Also Read: Advisory For Odisha Farmers On Steps To Drive Away Locust Swarms From Farms