SAHIWAL: Swarms of locusts have landed in different villages of Harrapa, Chichawatni and Pakpattan areas during the last 30 hours, with reports of damage to crops over hundreds of acres.

While farmers allege inaction on the part of the agriculture department, officials concerned claimed the present locust “consists of small immature mad flyers not damaging or eating crop.”

Swarms of locusts first landed in Noorpur, Haripur and Malkian Hans areas. Villagers said the locusts in millions could be seen on Noorpur Road, Malkain Hans where they attacked trees, fields and fruit farms. They said attack had badly damaged crop of wheat, potato and fodder. The villagers were employing desperate methods like making noise to contain the damage. Some villagers mounted loud speakers on their tractors to add to noise.

In Chichawatni tehsil, insects landed in dozens of villages. Dawn learnt from sources that villages 8/11-L, 7/11-L, Kasowal and Ghaziabad were the most affected. Farmers said insects had badly damaged peas, pulses, potato, tomato, wheat, canola and fodder crops.

Malik Jahanzeb of Kasowal old Dawn by phone that locusts had inflicted heavy losses to farmers.

Waseem Sukhera from Ghaziabad said farmers were sending SOS but no official of the agriculture department responded. “In many cases farmers are helpless and have no idea what to do,” he added.

It is learnt the agriculture extension department has conveyed no scientific information to farmers about the possible insect attack. “In a matter of few minutes, millions of insects appeared on the sky and then landed in fields,” farmer Muhammad Asif from 7/11-L told Dawn.

Naveed Asmat, assistant director, Agriculture Information Department, Multan, told Dawn the present swarms of locust were basically at “flyer stage”. “These swarms are at immature stage flying here and there but not damaging, destroying or eating crops.”, he added.

He said now the locusts had moved towards Koh Sulman in Balochistan and entire Punjab was clear except small swarms flying like “mad insects”.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2020