Spray planes acquired for locust control grounded

Around 18 aircraft acquired by Plant Protection Department for eliminating locusts have been grounded due to lack of maintenance, ARY News reported on Sunday quoting sources.

According to sources, the planes acquired by the federal government for spraying pesticide for eliminating locusts have been grounded since 2021 due to maintenance issues.

Of 18 planes, 10 have been grounded in Karachi while eight are in Lahore, they say.

According to sources within the plant and protection department, the spraying planes were grounded due to a lack of maintenance for the past two years.

In 2019, widespread heavy rainfall during March and April in Balochistan created ideal ecological conditions for a rapid increase in the number of locusts.

In anticipation of the outbreak, the Punjab government had directed officials to thwart a possible attack by conducting large-scale aerial and land spraying of pesticides.