QUETTA: Balochistan ministers Mir Zia Langove and Zamrak Khan have called upon the federal government to fulfil its promises and announce a special package for districts affected by locust invasion.

Speaking at a joint press conference here on Monday, they said that 31 districts of Balochistan had been badly affected by locust swarms as they destroyed standing crops and fruit orchards, causing losses of ­billions of rupees to growers.

They said that due to huge losses of crops and fruit orchards, the provincial government was seriously considering declaring 31 affected districts of Balochistan as calamity-hit areas. They said that 80 per cent people of Balochistan depended on the agriculture sector and locust swarms were badly affecting their livelihoods.

The Balochistan government is conducting a survey on damage to the crops by locust attacks.

Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove directed the provincial agriculture department to deal with locust swarms along with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

On the occasion, Mr Langove handed over keys of 10 tractors to provincial Minister for Agriculture Zamrak Khan. The tractors have been provided to the agriculture department to conduct sprays in fields.

Both the ministers said the PDMA would extend its full support to the locust swarms-hit people.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2020