BAHAWALPUR: The city and several other parts of the district again came under a heavy locust attack on Friday as swarms damaged standing crops and mango orchards over vast areas.

The locust attack began from Uch Sharif where it caused damage in the riverine areas of Rasoolpur, Makhan Bela, Bakhtiari and others. On Friday, the locusts reached Ahmedpur East, Musafirkhana, Khanqah Sharif and Bahawalpur’s suburbs and after passing through Yazman areas, they were heading towards the Cholistan desert.

The return of the locusts had been anticipated by the farming community whose crops and mango orchards had been damaged in previous months. Experts have forecast a massive onslaught of locusts in this area in July.

Agriculture Director (Extension) Khalid Sindhu said the swarms had travelled from Alipur in Muzzafargarh and after flying over Panjnad Headworks had entered Bahawalpur district from Uch Sharif. He claimed that on Friday, the intensity of the locust attack was low.

He said that only field teams of his department with about 47 vehicles and ample stock of insecticides were active in eliminating the locusts. Agri workers were, in fact, the front liners, who carried out anti-locust operations in the sizzling heat in the fields. He added that there was no shortage of field staff equipped with spray machines and insecticides.

Meanwhile, mango was being sold at high rates as compared to previous years, as cultivators had claimed extensive damages to their crops, fodder and mango orchards. Mango production had also suffered owing to several windstorms and extreme weather.

COURT BLOCK: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed block of subordinate courts here.

The new block has been added to the district courts premises as there was a shortage of courtrooms with an increase in the number of judges in the subordinate judiciary.

On the occasion, the district bar association’s office-bearers called on the chief justice and requested him for help for Covid-19-affected lawyers in Bahawalpur. They also requested the CJ to take up the matter of establishment of lawyers’ chambers with the district administration.

SEALED: Assistant commissioners on Friday sealed five shops, impounded seven vehicles and fined 27 shopkeepers over violation of coronavirus standard operating procedures in the city.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2020