NDMA dispatches medicines to provinces to combat locust

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has announced dispatching medical items, including sprayers to provinces for combating the locusts in their respective areas.

The NDMA sources informed PNFS that a dozen spraying machines each have been sent to Sindh, Punjab and Balocistan while six and eight sprayers had been provided to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and department of plants protection respectively. 

The spokesman further revealed that the affected provinces had been provided 350,000 liters medicine to combat locusts. 

Balochistan has been provided 106,299 litres, Sindh 124,000 litres, Punjab 79,800 litres and DPP was provided 40,000 litres. The anti-insecticides medicines included 300,000 litres of methylene, 96 percent ULV and 50,000 litres Limda two percent. 

There was severe locust attack on various crops in district Jhang of Punjab province, Dosti FM98 radio channel reported. Quoting Deputy Commissioner, Tahir Watto, it was disclosed that spray was being carried out on crops in the affected fields, while agriculture experts had joined hands for supervising and facilitating the spray operation while the department of agriculture was motinoring the movement of locust.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, in a recent report, had warned of a potentially serious food security crisis this year in several regional countries, including Pakistan, due to locust attacks. 

The report titled ‘Desert locust situation in Pakistan’ highlighted migration pattern of desert locust in South West Asia, its current invasion in different countries, potential impact on Pakistan’s agricultural economy as well as the ongoing efforts of Pakistan’s government to contain the pest and the emerging scenario. 

According to the report, Pakistan and Iran in the eastern region were particularly prone as locust breeding was taking place in these areas, also due to the wet winter this year.