Locusts spotted in Punjab's Fazilka, Muktsar; farmers worried

Locusts were spotted in some villages of Punjab's Fazilka and Muktsar districts triggering fear among farmers as the destructive swarms are known to devour the vegetation wherever they settle.

The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD), however, said necessary arrangements were in place to tackle a possible locust attack while ruling out any damage to crops at this stage.

Farmers from the two districts have urged the agriculture department officials to take urgent steps to tackle the pests.

"We have found locusts in our fields... they are not in large numbers though," said a farmer in Fazilka.

According to officials, locusts, popularly known as 'Tiddi Dal', have come from neighbouring Rajasthan which was attacked by one of the most destructive pests earlier this month following which authorities there undertook a massive exercise to contain the outbreak.

A few locust swarms were also reported in Anoopgarh and Sri Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan after their attack emanated from the desert area of Pakistan, they said.

"There is no need to panic. A very small number of locusts have been spotted at a few places here," said PAD Director Sutantar Kumar Airi asserting that there was no damage to crops.

"We have around 250 to 300 big sprayers and also arranged chemicals for containing any attack of swarms of locusts," said Airi.

Officials said that the department has already pressed into service several monitoring and survey teams to keep a close tab over the situation and are constantly surveying the border districts of Bathinda, Muktsar and Fazilka.

They further said that they were in touch with agri experts from Rajasthan as well as the Union government, who are closely monitoring the situation in Rajasthan.