PESHAWAR: A scattered swarm of locusts arrived in the suburbs of Peshawar on Saturday, settling in the southern side of the city between FR (Frontier Region) and Kohat.
“The swarm has reached Mattani and is presently staying in a barren land whereas agriculturists are busy in spraying them with pesticide to contain the attack,” Peshawar District Plant Protection Department Deputy Director Sajjid Khan said.
Talking to APP during the field operation in Mattani on Saturday, Sajid said that the attack is not severe and would be contained easily, adding that the incoming locusts are part of a swarm which is scattered between D.I.Khan and its adjoining areas.
He expressed hope for 90 per cent of the locust problem in the province being resolved once the swarm is eliminated. “Agriculture teams are busy in spraying different areas, including Karak, D.I.Khan and FR Kohat where the pest’s presence is being reported.
Sajid said that the team is also busy is spending time in the field to contain the locusts despite threats of coronavirus infection.
It merits to be mention here locust is scientifically known as `Schistocera Gregaria’ and can fly at a speed of around 15 km per hour. A locust swarm is so huge, it can spread over an area of around four to five kilometres in the sky and comprise of a population of around 80 million to one billion.
In January 2020, such swarms started arriving in D.I.Khan district while passing through the Takht-e-Suleman mountain range in Baluchistan.
On January 30, the KP Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department declared an emergency in nine southern districts of the province.
To counter the attack and protect crops from damage, authorities have adopted the strategy of monitoring of the swarm’s presence and targeting potential pockets by spraying before dawn when the pest is dormant and cannot fly.
This strategy has proved highly successful in containing the attack.
