KARACHI: The Indian government is in some measure responsible for the current locust attack on West Pakistan on an unprecedented scale. Although Rajasthan desert is the main breeding ground of the locust swarms, the Indian government would not take any action to destroy the locust eggs or hoppers.

They are not interested in destroying the locust since no cultivation is done in Rajasthan, nor was there any danger of the pest damaging crops in the arable areas of India.

The locusts fly from Rajasthan to West Pakistan on their way to Baluchistan, Makran Coast and Iran.

Food and Agriculture Secretary I.U. Khan, who announced anti-locust measures at a press conference yesterday, said that the locust problem could be solved only through international cooperation and constant vigilance.

He said the Indian government was not cooperating with Pakistan in this matter. India has told the Pakistan Plant Protection Department that its pesticide-spraying aircraft should not fly over the Indian territory.

Even “inadvertent” flights over the border areas of Rajasthan are not tolerated by India. The Plant Protection Department had recently asked the Indian government that no action should be taken against its aircraft if they happened to cross into the Indian territory “inadvertently”.

The Indian Government turned down the request although under an international agreement, to which India was a party, buzzing of pest-destroying aircraft was not allowed.

Mr Khan regretted that India had chosen to withdraw this facility. He hoped that Pakistan and India would reach an agreement to afford such facilities on a reciprocal basis.

He said that Saudi Arabia, which is also a locust-breeding area, has no anti-locust machinery but it has allowed Pakistani teams to work in its territory.