LAHORE MIRROR (Monitoring Desk)– Swarms of locusts continued to damage food crops across Pakistan, with the attacks gaining frequency in several districts of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan.
Locusts attacked crops in Multan, Muzzaffargarh, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur in Punjab and Sanghar, Matiari, and Ghotki in Sindh.
The attacks added to the misery of farmers, who tried to beat drums in order to scare away the attacking insects.
The swarms have been devouring mango, cotton, and sugarcane crops, causing severe damage to the agricultural sector.
Locusts invaded shops and bazaars as well, which led to citizens panicking and spraying in hopes of dispersing the insects leading the onslaught.
In Rajanpur, locusts caused significant damage to green trees and plants. In Sadiqabad, the insects attacked mango farms, wreaking havoc on the production of the fruit.
The district administration in Rahim Yar Khan also resorted to sprays to get rid of locusts attacking the crops.
NDMA hotline
In a bid to facilitate complaints related to locusts, National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) has activated a hotline 051-111-222-999 for registering and resolving issues pertaining to their attacks.
“The aggrieved farmers can register their complaints about the existence of locusts in their respective areas or need of spray on the hotline for 24 hours,” the NDMA spokesperson said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal, in a recent media briefing, shared details of the steps taken to fight the locust attacks.
The NDMA chief had said that a massive operation is underway in Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Faisalabad divisions, along with Okara, Bhakar, and Layyah districts.
“We have enough stock of pesticides in Pakistan to keep the locust attacks in check,” Afzal had said.
