Sindh declares emergency

KARACHI: The Sindh Agriculture department has declared emergency and cancelled vacations due to the forecast of heavy rainfall in the province, a statement said on Friday.

According to the forecast of Pakistan Meteorological Department, weather is likely to remain unstable in Pakistan till Tuesday, which started from Thursday night, producing rains with dust-thunderstorm at scattered places of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and AJK and at a few places in Sindh and northeast Balochistan.

Dust-thunderstorm with rain is also expected in Mirpurkhas, Badin and Hyderabad on Monday, the PMD forecast said. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also released its advisory in the wake of weather forecast.

To kill locust swarms due to forecast of rain, 98 field teams have been deputed across Sindh, Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahoo said in a statement.

Because of rain, crops in desert area could be more affected by locusts attack, he added.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government continued its spray campaign in the affected areas and within 24 hours locust swarms were killed in 12 affected districts through spray over 8,448 hectares.

The department has sprayed in the areas of Badin, Ghotki, Khairpur, Sanghar, Naushaharo, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Kashmore, Tando Alahyar, Matyari, Dadu and Jamshoro districts.

Rahoo said that the citizens of Sindh were awaiting for the federal government to take practical steps to finish locusts. In case of rain on soft land, locusts could give one thousand eggs within the area of one square-metre, whereas heavy rainfall is the most favourable period for locust breeding.

The provincial minister said the departmental teams were working day-and-night, and the survey teams in desert areas were also on alert.