SUKKUR: Once again swarms of locusts have inflicted large scale damage to crops in Islamkot taluka of Tharparkar. Experts had warned of a renewed locust attack after the rains due to enhanced moisture and humidity that favours their growth but even then the DPP, ministry of agriculture and rest of the government were caught napping.
On August 13, FAO’s Locust Watch had warned Pakistan that “in some of the adjacent areas of Cholistan, Nara and Tharparkar deserts groups of adults are laying eggs and groups of hoppers and immature adults are forming.”
The FAO warned further hatching is expected as well as fledging and possible formation of immature adult groups that could mature and start to lay eggs next month because of recent normal to above-normal rainfall in breeding areas along both sides of the border. The FAO has warned of a larger presnce of locust swarms, bands, groups, adults and hoppers in Pakistan.
Farmers from a dozen villages in Islamkot taluka of Tharparkar are reporting extensive damage to crops by locusts that attacked Pakistan after 22 years in May. Shamsuddin, Wali Muhammad, Ameer Hassan and others said the government did not carry out preventive sprays even though it was known that there will be another wave of locust attack after the monsoon rains. “We are facing a double whammy. First, we suffered from long years of drought and now locust attack,” Hassan said. “The good rainfall had raised our hopes of a good crop but the locusts have destroyed everything.”
According to the villagers, locusts have also devoured the pastures of their livestock which will result in severe crisis in the desert region. Earlier this month, the locust swarms devastated crops in two of four union councils of Achro Thar or the White Desert in Sanghar’s Khipro Taluka. The swarms of the deadly pest locusts had moved across 50 villages of UC Ranak Dahar and UC Kamil Hingoro. The locals were demanding the authorities declare an emergency and contain the locust outbreak before everything is lost.
He voiced concern that if the authorities failed to control the insects, the agriculture sector would suffer huge financial losses of billions of rupees. In June, swarms of locusts had damaged crops in six districts of Dadu, Matiari, Jamshoro, Nawabshah, Naushehro Feroze and Sanghar districts before causing extensive damage to crops in Rajanpur.
