MITHI: A huge swarm of locusts again invaded many Tharparkar areas and devoured plants, mature crops and leaves of trees causing heavy losses to the local farming community on Sunday. Dr Satram, Mohammad Moosa Samejo and other panicked peasants and abadgars told this reporter that the swarm appeared to be many times larger than the one that had unleashed devastation in the district a couple of months back. They recalled that when the locusts were spotted in Sindh before the recent monsoon rains, the provincial government and other authorities concerned had held out the assurance that anti-locust spray would be conducted after rainfall. However, they deplored they did not keep their word and helpless growers had to suffer heavy losses. A much bigger swarm, comprising millions of locusts, again hit the area and ravaged mature crops, farmlands, green pastures and trees in Dahli taluka and parts of Umerkot district, they lamented.

They urged the authorities concerned to rush to their rescue by taking all possible measures to eliminate the pest.

Meanwhile, a consignment of anti-locusts pesticide has been donated to the district administration by the Thar Foundation, according to a statement issued here on Sunday.

It said that 800 bags of lambda cyhalothrin were handed over to senior officials of the administration.Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Dr Shahzad Tahir Thaheem, commenting on the situation, said that recent locust attack had damaged crops in parts of Thar but most agricultural lands were protected by applying numerous methods. Due to the recent spells of rains in the region, the danger of locust invasion had remained there, he added.

He said the donated pesticide would be used in western parts of Tharparkar to eliminate locusts.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019