The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a Disaster Relief Team, which is headed by the Deputy Director, Agriculture Directorate, to deal with locust attacks in several parts of the state. This team will survey various districts where locust presence has been found. It will take remedial measures for the protection.
The Yogi Adityanath government has also started a control room to coordinate with various districts on the same. As per a government spokesman, district level committees are also being established for the purpose under the chairmanship of the Chief Development Officer (CDO). The members of the committee will be District Agriculture Officer & Deputy Agriculture Director.
Devesh Chaturvedi, Principal Secretary Agriculture, has already directed all District Magistrates, particularly those in eastern Uttar Pradesh, to remain on high alert for the movement of locusts. As per Dr. Navin Kumar Singh of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) the locust movement is determined by the direction of the wind.
He said, "Locusts have entered UP from Jhansi in Bundelkhand region after devouring green crops in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh. The locust movement usually takes place late evening and they eat up the crops at night before moving out the following day."
District Magistrates of districts on the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border, in particular, are asked to remain vigilant and prepared for the locust attacks since the swarm has already made its presence felt in the Jhansi district. At the same time, farmers are asked to spray pesticides in their farmlands & also play loud music as locusts are said to turn away if they hear loud music.
