Punjab chief secretary reviews strategy to combat locust attack

Officials should remain in the field and coordinate with local farmers: Punjab CS Major (retd) Azam Suleman Khan

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman Khan said on Saturday that officials should remain in the field and coordinate with local farmers, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and allied departments to save crops from a locust attack.

He expressed these views in a meeting held to review a strategy to combat locusts in different districts of the province. The meeting was attended by senior member of the Board of Revenue, agriculture secretary, PDMA director general and other officers concerned. The divisional commissioners and deputy commissioner joined the meeting through video conferencing.

The agriculture secretary and PDMA DG said that during the last three months, out of a total 70,700 hectares area in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan, spray had been completed on 42,360 hectares along with aerial spray on 800 hectares.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2020.