11/07/2019 - Environmnt | GS III |

IAS Parliament 5 years

KEY POINTS

· The magnitude of the damage and loss caused by the locusts is very gigantic beyond imagination as they have caused the starvation due to its being polyphagous feeder, and on an average small locust swarm eats as much food in one day as about 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2500 people.

· Locust do cause damage by devouring the leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and growing points and also by breaking down trees because of their weight when they settle down in masses.

· This in turn affects the crop productivity and causes food insecurity

Measures taken

The following steps have been taken to deal with the problem of Desert locust:

· a total of 8041 hectares have been treated against the said infestation by spraying insecticide (Jaisalmer - 7354 hectares, Barmer - 447 hectares, Jalore - 100 hectares and Banaskantha - 140 hectares).

· The staffs of locust warning organization / circle offices are undertaking regular surveys and control operations to check desert locust.

· An Additional number of technical officers/officials of Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage have been deployed in the various circle office for assistance in control and survey works. In addition, senior officers of the Department are camping in the infested area and supervising control operations.

· Further, the State Agriculture Department of Rajasthan has posted sufficient staffs including Agriculture Supervisor, Agriculture officers & Assistant Agriculture Officers to various offices in the Jaisalmer districts for assistance in locust control works.The State Government has constituted various teams comprising senior officers for regular assessment and monitoring of locust situation.

· Various awareness programs have been organized by the various circle offices for state agriculture officers and farmers.

· Regular Liaison is being maintained with the Forest Department, Border Security Force, State Agriculture Department, District administration and representatives of Gram Sabha/Panchayat.

· Locust Warning Organization (LWO) established in 1939, every year LWO undertake Locust surveillance & monitoring in SDA, Coordinate other stake holders on locust situation, issuing locust situation Bulletins, organising Border meetings and conducting Farmer Field Schools (FFSs) programme in LWO/ LCO’s in Rabi season. Besides undertake control operations during locust upsurge/incursion.