Swarms of locusts descend on Malir, Gadap's farmlands

KARACHI: Swarms of locusts have descended on the farmlands of Malir, Gadap and Bin Qasim Towns of the metropolis.

According to details, locusts’ attack poses a grave danger to standing crops spread over several hectares of these areas.

Farmers have expressed grave concern over their locust-infested fields and appealed to the provincial authorities to take measures in a timely manner to save their crops.

Previously, locusts’ attacks were reported in Sukkur and other cities of the Sindh province where they wreaked havoc on crops.

Several swarms of locusts had descended in the Saleh Pat area of Sukkur and ate up standing cotton crop, vegetables and fodder for cattle in the area.

Local farmers staged a protest against inaction of the provincial agriculture department with regard to the attacks of locusts swarms in the area.

The farmers had tried to get rid of the vegetation eating grasshoppers on a self help basis after the agriculture department’s inaction over the matter.

“We worked hard for six months, spent thousands of rupees but the crops were destroyed (by the swarms of locusts)”, a farmer lamented.

The government by conducting spray of insecticides could save us from further harm, local farmers said.