Threat of locust attack looms on Telangana State
Hyderabad: Telangana is staring at locust attack as the swarms are just 200 km away. The State government has decided to deploy a special team headed by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to the border district of Adilabad to monitor the movement of the locusts which already created a havoc by destroying the crops in many states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
The government on Wednesday received a communication that a swarm of locusts are located at Azmi village near Ramtek in Maharashtra, which is about 200 km away from Telangana. If the locusts travel towards the South, they will reach Telangana within a short span of time. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao instructed the official machinery to be on high alert. He said that measures be taken on a war-footing basis to protect the state from the possible attack of the locusts. The special team will stay in the border district for two days and review the situation from time to time in coordination with the Maharashtra government.
According to officials, locusts may enter the state anytime between June 20 and July 5. Around that time, monsoon crops season would begin in the State. It would be time for sprouts. If the locusts attack, there will be a largescale loss, as they would eat away the tender crop.
The government has put the administration on alert in eight districts bordering Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. It is felt that the swarms may enter Bhadrachalam, Charla, Venkatapuram, Vajedu, Peruru, Mangampet, Eturu Naagaram, Chennuru, Vemanapalli, Koutala, Dharmabad, Bodhan, Jukkal, Banswada, Narayankhed and Zaheerabad areas, along withBhadradri-Kothagudem, Mulugu, Mancherial, Adilabad, Nirmal, Asifabad, Nizamabad, Kamareddy and Sangareddy.
The special team to monitor the movement of swarms consists of Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Janardhan Reddy, Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Praveen Rao, CIPMC Plant Protection Officer R Sunitha and Agriculture University senior Scientist Rahman.