Growers traumatised as locust swarms devour crops

Over 8,000 acres of land in Noorpur Thal affected, farmers distressed

NOORPUR THAL: More than 8,000 acres of land in Noorpur Thal has been affected by locusts, leaving hundreds of anxious farmers in the area waiting for government’s relief efforts.

Large armies of locusts, numbering in the millions, have captured thousands of acres of trees and green fodder.

The MNA from the area, Malik Muhammad Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, tried his best to draw the attention of the government to take effective measures for the eradication of locusts in Noorpur Thal in the National Assembly on Saturday.



He told government officials that if the locusts were not dealt with in time, the farmers of Thal would feel the brunt of the loss for the next three years.

“Farmers of Noorpur Thal have demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar take effective measures to eradicate locusts and provide an aircraft to spray insecticide so that their eradication can be ensured,” he said.

Sources revealed that Senior Member Board of Revenue Babar Hayat Tarar also visited Noorpur Thal a week ago to review the locusts but even after his visit, no steps were taken to eradicate the locusts that will satisfy the farmers of Thal.

The locusts are destroying green fodder and trees, causing the farmers to suffer from severe anxiety.

Muhammad Sher Borana, a farmer from Noorpur Thal, said millions of locusts are coming in large numbers from Jhang and Bhakkar districts in the tehsil daily and have started making Dhamak, Jamali Baloch, Aino, Roda and Noorpur areas their home.

“Locusts are razing green fodder and trees grown by farmers across the tehsil day and night, due to which farmers are facing severe difficulties,” he said.

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He maintained that earlier the landlords of Noorpur Thal were worried due to the lower yield of gram crops and now the locusts had attacked the fodder and trees.

On the other hand, he said, the tehsil administration was in the process of spraying the fields to eradicate locusts.

Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Saif has deployed heavy machinery in the affected area along with dozens of officials of the Agriculture Department. Some of them have been deployed in temporary camps.

Reportedly, a joint operation against locusts by the tehsil administration and Pakistan Army continues day and night, but despite all efforts the locusts have not been eradicated.

According to agronomists, because of the recent weather conditions and the pests, the famous gram crop of Noorpur Thal, which has been cultivated on an area of about 200,000 acres and meets about 30% of the country's needs, has been reduced by 30%. The reduction in crop in the tehsil is also harming domestic production.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2020.