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KHAIRPUR, Oct 9: A pest, Lashkari Sundhi, has attacked cotton crop in upper Sindh badly damaging it.
According to a survey conducted by this correspondent in Thari Mirwah, Setharja, Sobhodero, Gambat, Nara and Pir Wassan of Khairpur district have all been badly affected by the pest attack.
The pest attack has also been reported from Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Mehrabpur, Hallani and Khan Wahan, while the katcha areas of Sukkur and Shikarpur too have been affected. So has northern Sindh from Kamon Shaheed to Dharki, while Mirpur Mathelo, Rohri, Kandhera and Dara Wahan are all areas where the pest has damaged crops.
Local agricultural experts have identified the pest as Lashkari Sundhi but have been unable to control its spread as all pesticides have proved ineffective. The loss has been estimated between 50 and 70 per cent.
The pest has eaten all the leaves of the cotton crop leaving a remote chance for its survival.
The pests have also damaged jawar crops.
VILLAGE DEFENCE: The Kalhora Force was formed under the village defence system in the katcha area of Kingri Taluka on Thursday.
This private force will consist of a total of 24 people, of which 17 will be Kalhora tribesmen and the rest policemen.
The force will work under the supervision of the TPO, Katcha area, and will patrol in the jurisdiction of five police stations which fall in the Katcha area, including Abdul Rehman Unnar, Baradi Jatoi, Mehboob Kalhoro, Gulo Siyal and Ahmedpur police stations.
The DPO, Khairpur, Fateh Sher Joyo, said that the main responsibility of the Kalhora Force would be to keep an eye on the entrance of dacoits in Khairpur who enter the district by crossing the River Indus from Larkana, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts.
ACCIDENT: A motorcyclist, Ali Bux Lund, was killed and two other people were injured when a motorcycle rammed into a cart on the Babar Wada link road, near Kumb, on Wednesday.
