NEW DELHI, 2 September 2020: Starting from 11April, 2020 till 25August, 2020, control operations have been done in 279,066 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana by Locust Circle Offices (LCOs).

Till 25 August, 2020, control operations have been done in 287,374 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Bihar by State Governments.

No locust adults or hoppers were spotted in any of the affected areas yesterday. However, adequate manpower is on vigil for survey and control with sufficient vehicles and spray equipment in the State/s of Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

As of 26 August 2020, intensive survey operations are continued by LCOs to locate and eliminate locust population, if any.

As per the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Locust Status Update of 24 Aug., 2020, the risk of swarm migration to the Indo-Pakistan summer breeding area has nearly subsided.

Weekly virtual meeting on Desert Locust of South-West Asian countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan) is being organized by FAO. 23 virtual meetings of the technical officers of South West Asian countries have taken place so far.