Gujarat reports locust presence, but no threat

New Delhi, July 5 (UNI) The Agriculture Ministry today said there was no threat to India from locust infestaion from Africa to the country even as scattered and localised presence of locust has been reported from Gujarat.

No reports of locust spotting have been received from Rajasthan, the Ministry said in a release.

Ministry of Agriculture and the Locust Unit of Directorate of Plant Protection and Quarantine are in constant touch with the State Governments of Gujarat and Rajasthan and Punjab.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ssued a locust warning on June 27, 2007 stating that locust swarms were seen in North-Eastern Somalia and the swarms could arrive in Pakistan and Rajasthan in the next seven to ten days.

On receiving this high alert from FAO, the Central Government advised the State Governments to keep constant vigil and to keep themselves prepared to combat any locust infestation.

On June 28, Agriculture Secretary P K Mishra spoke to the Gujarat Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Agriculture on this issue.

The field units of Locust Warning Organisation of India (LHO) located in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and the State Governments have been alerted and instructed to intensify the survey to detect any locust movement in the costal areas of Gujarat and the scheduled desert areas of Rajasthan.

Considering the probability of landing in Gujarat, the Collectors of Kutch, Rajkot, Jamnagar and other District authorities have been alerted. Control Rooms have been set up at the Office of District Collector, Bhuj and at LWO, Bhuj.

The BSF authorities have also been alerted.

Four teams from LWO and four teams from the state are in the field for survey and control. Till July 3, 2007, Joint Survey Teams surveyed a total 125 villages in Kutch District. The surveillance teams initially found small population of locust in about 100 hactare in Lakhpat Taluk of Kutch district, which is about 1.5 km inside from the coastline.

On further survey, they located locust population over a strip of area, extending approximately 10 km X 0.5-1 km covering the villages of Nanicher, Shilpar and Angarpura villages of Lakhpat Taluk of Kutch district in Gujarat.

There is adequate stock of pesticides and equipment for the control operations, if such a need arises in the future, the release added.

UNI