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Updated May 29th, 2020 at 08:14 IST

Maharashtra agriculture min says '50% locusts killed in state', details on aid to farmers

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse on Thursday said that around 50 per cent locust swarms were killed in the state by the agriculture department.

Reported by: Jay Pandya
Maharashtra
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Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse on Thursday informed that around 50% locust swarms were killed in the state by the agriculture department. He stated that farmers in the state are being provided with chemicals/insecticides free of cost in the areas where locusts have created havoc.

"Around 50% locust swarms were killed in Maharashtra by the agriculture department. Fire brigade vehicles are being used for spraying insecticides. We are providing chemicals/insecticides to farmers free of cost in the affected areas," Bhuse said.

Meanwhile, local administration in Bhandara sprayed disinfectant to fight locust attack and locals beat drums to drive away the insects, according to news agency ANI.

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Centre to buy sprayers from the UK

In a bid to control the locust attack in the country, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said that 15 sprayers will arrive from Britain in the next 15 days. Tomar was addressing a high-level meeting to review locust control operations in the country. The Centre is in close touch with affected states and an advisory has been issued.

"Forty-five more sprayers will be procured in a month or one-and-a-half months. Drones will be used to spray pesticides on tall trees and inaccessible places for effective control of locusts, while plans are afoot to deploy helicopters for aerial spray," the ministry had said.

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About 21 districts in Rajasthan, 18 districts in Madhya Pradesh, 2 districts in Gujarat and 1 district in Punjab have undertaken locust control measures till now, the Agricultural Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. It has been controlled in 47,308-hectare areas so far in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, the statement read.

Rajasthan is the most affected state, according to officials from the Forest Ministry. The Rajasthan government has deployed 778 tractors and 50 fire brigade vehicles, Madhya Pradesh - 72 tractors and 38 fire brigade vehicles, Uttar Pradesh deployed 6 tractors and Punjab deployed 50 tractors and 6 fire brigade vehicles for locust control.

The desert locust are swarming short-horned grasshoppers. They are known to devour everything in their path, posing an unprecedented threat to food supply and livelihoods of millions of people.

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(With agency inputs)

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Published May 29th, 2020 at 08:14 IST

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