MUMBAI: While the whole world is battling the spread of the highly infectious novel coronavirus, another serious situation has raised keeping farmers in deep problem across North India.
Swarms of locusts have wreaked havoc in different parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. This has been reported has the worst locust attack in nearly three decades.
According to the report, Locusts, popularly known as 'tiddi dal', are short-horned grasshoppers that threaten to destroy crops and thus, disrupt food security in the country. Locust swarms can travel up to 130 kilometre in a day and each locust can Farmers have come up with unique ways to fight the migratory pests. They are beating utensils and using loudspeakers to scare away locust swarms.
Uttar Pradesh police officer Rahul Srivastava posted a video in which farmers can be seen using a vehicle fitted with loudspeakers to scare away locust swarms. Locally known as 'DJ vehicle', it is used to play music during wedding processions.
"DJs are used to not only play music but also scare away locust swarms Everyone sees a new day. You can also make loud noise or bang utensils to scare them away," Srivastava wrote while sharing the video.
"Locusts can be scared away by producing noise by beating of drums and utensils. Chemicals, especially Chlorpyriphos 20 EC diluted in water, can be sprinkled on crops. There is a possibility of great damage to the crops due to locusts. The Agriculture Department and administration is keeping an eye on the issue," agriculture scientist Jainendra Kanaujia was quoted as saying by ANI.
Not many people would have imagined three months ago that we can be in the rare and extreme situation many of us are experiencing now.