Mandviwalla Stresses Concrete Measures To Control Looming Locust Attack Threat

Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla Friday stressed immediate and concrete measures to counter the looming locust attack threat and saving the country from another disaster

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2020 ) :Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla Friday stressed immediate and concrete measures to counter the looming locust attack threat and saving the country from another disaster.

Talking to a delegation of farmers, he urged departments concerned including Provincial and National Disaster Management Authorities to take timely measures to tackle the locust threat, said a press release.

He deplored that out of 18 only two workable spray planes were in hangers in Karachi and Lahore.

"Pakistan may host its unbelievable migratory population from Iran, Oman and African countries in April and May causing severe food security crisis after corona issue.

He pointed that in 3rd SWAC Virtual Meeting (April 6) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of UN had warned Pakistan that desert locust breading border areas of Pakistan, Hormozgan, Bunder Abbas, Fars, Khuzestan, Kerman and Bushehr and swarms had started coming from Oman and its further migration to Pakistan may be expected by the end of this month.

He feared that food security crisis was knocking at the door of Pakistan after deadly pandemic corona crises due to failure of timely action against desert locust (DL) surveillance and control operation last year.

He observed that as per estimates, Pakistan suffered a loss to wheat, oil seed and fodder crops of more than 100 billion. "This year, farmers are expected low yield of wheat and wheat crises in the country."He said no precise survey had so far been made to fix actual loss and its compensation to farmers - though the government imposed national locust emergency assigned task to NDMA and PDMA to curtail this menace.He pointed out that reproduction of locust was being seen in Nushki, Chaghi, Gawadar, Kech, Panjgur, Kharan, Washuk, Quetta district of Baluchistan province, Bhakkar, Khushab, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan districts of Punjab province and Ghotki district of Sindh province but unfortunately, no tangible steps were being taken to control it.