The Delhi government on Thursday issued an advisory on preventive measures to control a probable locust attack in the national capital.
It called for organising awareness programmes for the public/farmers to prevent/control the probable attack of swarms of locusts in the national capital territory (NCT) of Delhi.
It said that since the swarms usually fly during the day and rest at night, they should not be allowed to rest.
“Concerned authorities may carry out spraying of insecticide/pesticide as per need during the night,” the advisory by the Development Commissioner of Delhi said.
Delhi labour minister Gopal Rai also convened a meeting at his residence to discuss preparations to meet the locust threat, ANI reported.
The locust swarms which first attacked Rajasthan have now spread to four other states – Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Much of the current swarms of locusts are not yet adults. In favourable wind conditions they can travel long distances in a single day which makes tracking them difficult.
The Centre has also pitched in to help states battle the locust attack that can lay to waste agriculture fields. On Wednesday, the Union agriculture ministry said that locust control operations have been stepped to neutralize the threat in the affected states.
In Maharashtra, the state agriculture department has issued a ‘locust warning alert’ for all 11 districts in Vidarbha and four districts in north Maharashtra.
