India faces worst LOCUST attack in 27 years

Huge swarms of desert locusts are destroying crops across western and central India

• Crops and vegetation in several Indian states have been threatened by humongous swarms of
  desert locust known to the most dangerous of the migratory pests in the world
• With a locust outbreak ravaging parts of western India, a Union Environment Ministry
  mentioned that it is a “serious infestation” that has occurred when the country is already in the
  middle of a pandemic
• The locusts are currently active in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya
  Pradesh

Locust attack in India states

• A large part of northern India is facing severe locust attacks or a swarm invasion as it comes at
  a time when the country already has a humongous task at hand as posed by the corona virus crisis
• Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab are among the states badly hit by
  these locust swarms that came attacking
• Experts have claimed it to be the worst attack in nearly 27 years. Even though they don’t bite
  humans, it still may keep you on tenterhooks
• The insects have caused enormous damage to the seasonal crops in both the states, devastating
  many farmers already struggling with the impact of a strict corona virus lockdown
• They destroyed harvests in the agricultural heartlands of neighboring Pakistan in April, before
  entering Rajasthan
• A swarm of 40 million locusts can eat as much food as 35,000 people, or six elephants,
  according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization

Present stand of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

• Experts warn that if wind patterns change, the locusts currently headed to Dausa and Karauli
  districts in Rajasthan may tilt direction towards Delhi
• Scientists at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the wind patterns have been
  unpredictable this year on account of the western disturbances over northern India
• At present, the winds in Delhi are blowing from Rajasthan side. This means that the locust
  attack could hit Delhi
• Many agriculturists and government officials say that the locusts have changed their pattern
  and the size of their swarms has increased over the years
• Experts warn the situation could worsen with more expected to reach India via Pakistan from
  the Horn of Africa in June

What are locusts and its effect dangerous effects?

• The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a short-horned grasshopper
• Innocuous when solitary, locusts undergo a behavioral change when their population builds up
  rapidly
• They enter the „gregarious phase‟ by forming huge swarms that can travel up to 150 km per day,
  eating up every bit of greenery on their way
• These insects feed on a large variety of crops. If not controlled, locust swarms can threaten the
  food security of a country
• It is particularly characterized by its ability to breed rapidly. It typically moves in swarms, each
  of which can consist of an astonishing 150 million locusts per square km

Locust Swarms and world bank aids

• Locust swarms have been recorded in the Arabian peninsula and some African countries since
  biblical times, but unusual weather patterns exacerbated by climate change have created ideal
  conditions for insect numbers to surge
• These warms have infested 23 countries across East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia in
  2020, the biggest outbreak in 70 years
  India and World
• The bank approved a record $500 million in grants and low-interest loans to help countries in
  Africa and the Middle East fight swarms of desert locusts
• Four of the hardest-hit countries – Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda – will receive $160
  million immediately
• In Kenya, the locusts are eating in one day the amount of of food consumed by all Kenyans in
  two days

Pic courtesy : indiatoday.in