- The locusts are coming
Still reeling under the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, another severe crisis is looming over the horizon with the potential to severely damage the country’s crops and endanger its food security.
Earlier PM Imran Khan took the coronavirus lightly, ignored the threat when he still had time to make preparations to meet it and ended up blaming political opponents and the people in general for not adhering to SOPs. His reaction to the impending locust threat has been no different. The locusts entered Pakistan in June last year and the government had enough time to destroy them in the breeding regions of the country through timely sprays. Letters written by the Sindh government to Islamabad on the subject were thrown into the dustbin. Thus the local breeding of the last year’s infestation was allowed to continue. The pests have consequently come to inhabit pockets in all the provinces of Pakistan.
Last month the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned Pakistan of a second and a more destructive invasion by swarms from East Africa in late June and in July. The inference that can be drawn from what Chairman NDMA told the Supreme Court last month is that arrangements to fight the locust are still in the making. A report on the situation submitted to the Supreme Court by the Punjab government also confirms the perception. According to the report, urgent arrangements were needed for obtaining 50 micron sprayers, five aeroplanes and the services of 50 entomologists to support surveillance and combat operations in Punjab. On Monday the apex court observed that satisfactory measures were not taken to eliminate locusts from the country.
Fresh swarms of locusts have meanwhile entered KP through Afghanistan, destroying crops and divesting trees of their leaves in Dera Ismail Khan, from where they were entering Punjab, thus posing a serious threat to the food basket of the country. There is a need on the part of the Federal Plant Protection Department, the NDMA and the provincial governments to get their act together. On account of delayed decisions, this has turned into a race against time and a failure could lead to a famine like condition in parts of the country, particularly Balochistan, which has been worst hit so far.