No warning of locust attack, but Tamil Nadu officials remain alert

“Tamil Nadu officials are in touch with locust warning centre in Jodhpur and earlier studies have shown that the insects breed in soft fine sands found in deserts. Though there is no warning from the Jodhpur centre for south Indian states, the State agriculture department has sounded an alert to the officials as a precautionary measure,” agriculture secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who is frequenting between Chennai and Thanjavur told DT Next.

However, farmers need not panic as there was no trend of locust invading south India. Agriculture scientists from Tamil Nadu Agriculture University are also in touch with the directorate of plant protection and locust warning centre, Jodhpur. As an advisory, the field staff in the agriculture department have been asked to stock adequate quantity of neem-based insecticides and the scientists are tracking the migration pattern of locusts, Bedi said. The scientists in their report to the Jodhpur centre stated that the insects were likely to stay within the Vindhyas range in north India. Tamil Nadu has reported locust attack in 1878, but after that, there are no records of locust invasion, the agriculture secretary said.

“Last week the Union environment ministry warned about the locust swarms and their possibility of entering Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Now they have invaded Madhya Pradesh even entering tiger reserves damaging indigenous trees as crops are not available. For locusts there is no recent history of crossing Vindhyas and the next biggest natural obstruction for the insects are crossing the mountains located in Deccan plateau,” said a senior biologist with Tamil Nadu forest department.

Meanwhile, the State agriculture department had set targets for paddy cultivation in the delta districts as normal life returns with farmers taking up kuruvai crops.