Gujarat claims locust attack under control, assures compensation to farmers

Swarms in about 3,526 hectares of 5,000 hectares under control; farmers burn tyres or dry straw, play loud music and beat steel plates, and use large fans to destroy or drive away the pests

Gujarat has claimed that it has been able to bring the locusts swarm attack under control barring a couple of isolated locations.

On a war footing now, the state government has deployed 100 tractor-mounted pesticide sprayer teams along with 16 from the Central government to tackle the locust menace, according to Punamchand Parmar, additional chief secretary for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation Department, Government of Gujarat. He claimed the operation was "overall successful".

"The spread of locusts has been controlled. A two-day operation on December 26 and 27 in Tharad taluka was successful. Now, only a few isolated locations are