Mathura administration prepares for potential locust attack

The Mathura administration is gearing up to counter any potential locust attack in the district after Rajasthan reported an invasion of the pests in the last few days, an official said on Thursday.

Since certain pockets of Rajasthan are already in the grip of a locust attack, we have taken measures to foil their attack as a precautionary measure," Deputy Director, Agriculture department, Dhruvendra Kumar said after holding a meeting of senior agriculture officers.

A five-point strategy to prevent locust attacks has been chalked out, he said.

Village pradhans have been advised to apprise the farmers and instructed to treat the matter with urgency, he added.

Narrating the seriousness of a potential locust attack, the officer said it could eliminate not only the crops but also wipe off the grass, leaves, and flowers.

Kumar said the best alternative to foil such an attack is creating noise through the beating of drums, thalis, tins, utensils, gongs, bells, etc as the insect avoids sitting in such noisy areas.

The farmers have also been advised to plough or inundate their field if their soil is sandy since the insect loves breeding in sandy soil, the official pointed out.

According to Kumar, the farmers have been apprised of adopting a spraying technique as a precautionary measure.

Spraying certain types of pesticides would prevent the insects from landing in the area and even force them to fly away, he said, adding that the administration has stored sufficient quantity of such pesticides in case of an eventuality.