Crops like onions, cotton, bananas, sugarcane and dates have been impacted due to this
KECH, BALOCHISTAN: Swarms of locusts (a subspecies of the grasshopper) have invaded the rural areas of Sindh, and have destroyed a number of summer crops that were ready for harvest. Crops like onions, cotton, bananas, sugarcane and dates have been impacted due to this. In order to tackle the locusts, the government of Sindh has decided to conduct aerial pesticides spray over the affected areas. According to reports, locusts made their way to Khairpur’s desert area of Nara, after landing in Balochistan first. This is the right time to spray pesticides to get rid of swarms of locusts in order to protect the crops from further damage. Even though we do not know the side effects these pesticides will have on the crops, and on our health as we will consume the food crops; it is very important that the locust population is brought under control. A failure to do so in Balochistan has resulted in the invasion over Sindh. The government should ensure that locust attack does not spread further. Locusts destroy acres of crops in a matter of minutes.
Muhammad Bakhtiyar
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2019.
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