The looming threat

Context: Despite the warning by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN-FAO) in April about an imminent locust attack, there is a lack of preparedness and cooperation to fight against this winged invasion.

About Desert Locust

• Prolific breeders and voracious eaters: by far the most destructive of all the known pests.
• Good fliers: if aided by winds, they can cover over 150 km in a day

Challenges on Locust Attack

• A threat to Kharif crops: UN FAO’s latest alert warns about the swelling of locust count by 20 fold during monsoon.

• Fast Invasion: Starting from the Horn of Africa, desert locusts have now spread across South Asia and are fast approaching the southern states of India.

• Inadequate preparedness: Lack of basic locust control equipment like ultra-low volume sprayers, specialized aircraft and drones, sprayer-mounted tractors.

• Lack of cooperation:  among the neighbouring countries especially Pakistan and Iran where the locusts have been breeding freely for the past 2 months is worrisome. 

• Joint effort under the garb of UN-FAO is missing.

Way Forward:

• India would have to fight its own battle against the locusts. A long-term plan and deployment of adequate resources are imperative for this purpose.