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DownToEarth
16-30 JUNE, 2020
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FORTNIGHTLY ON POLITICS OFFORTNIGHTLY
SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH `60.00
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY SPECIAL
LOCUST +
ATTACKS
Fire in a gas and oil
well devastates
Assam’s wildlife
ARE BACK
P163
State governments
dilute Forest Rights
Act, threatening
Exploiting changing weather patterns, locusts are forest communities
spreading to new territories and devouring crops P263
COVER STORY /LOCUST ATTACK
THE OTHER
PLAGUE
Locusts have returned to India in just two months and
are spreading to new territories. Has climate change
added another layer of stress and uncertainty?
ISHAN KUKRETI, AKSHIT SANGOMLA, SHAGUN KAPIL,
MEENAKSHISUSHMA AND VIBHA VARSHNEY
P H OTO: V I K A S C H O U D H A R Y / C S E
34 DOWN TO EARTH 16-30 JUNE 2020 DOWNTOEARTH.ORG.IN
Dholpur district in Rajasthan
at 11 am on May 27, 2020
DOWNTOEARTH.ORG.IN 16-30 JUNE 2020 DOWN TO EARTH 35
COVER STORY /LOCUST ATTACK
I
T’S MAY 27. A few minutes past It was for the first time the residents
A locust control
11 am. Down To Earth reporters had operation at had seen something like this. Soon the
Mahar kalan in
just arrived in Pachgaon village, Karanpur village
severity of the situation dawned on them.
Dholpur district, Rajasthan, to enquire of Jaipur district, Some residents fetched their utensils and
Rajasthan, on
about desert locusts that are crossing over May 27 started beating and banging them. Ram
to India way ahead of the monsoon rain Babu, a farm worker in his 60s, rushed to
and invading new areas. As if on cue, a his farm to scare away the pests with a
huge swarm, resembling a long rust- piece of cloth. He repeated the exercise for
coloured low cloud, appeared from now- almost an hour in the 46oC heat. “I saw on
here. It quickly swelled forward, taking the news yesterday about locust attacks in
over the sky and nearly obliterating the Jaipur, but did not think they would attack
desert sun. Bewildered, the residents ran our village too,” he said, trying to call the
out of their homes and gathered in the land owner to inform him about the attack.
open. But before they could get a grasp on The nervous clamour of people did
the situation, millions of locusts started not let the swarm stay in the village for
falling like hail and clung to everything more than 40 minutes. But during that
that looked green. Within no minutes, the short period, Babu lost almost one-
P H OTO: A D I T H YA N P C / C S E
trees and bushes turned into ragged fourth of his pumpkin crop planted on
mounds of glistening brown. Some leaned 3.5 bigha (0.3 ha) land. Peepul, babool
over to touch the ground—tropical and keekar (Prosopis juliflora) trees
grasshoppers weigh about 2-2.5 gram. A looked queer with almost bare branches
few youngsters took photographs as the and punctured leaves.
others stood motionless. Only a few insects were fluttering
about when the district agriculture offic- over 40 million locusts that can eat the
ials arrived at Pachgaon. They have been same amount of food in a day as 35,000
on alert since the night before and tracking people. Farmers of Sri Ganganagar and
the swarm with the help of their Bikaner districts know this voracious
counterparts in other districts and the nature of the pest only too well. The
Locust Warning Organization (LWO)—a districts are part of the state's cotton
unit under the Ministry of Agriculture growing belt where agriculture has been
and Farmers' Welfare that runs the made possible because of the Bhakra,
world's oldest national locust monitoring Indira Gandhi and Gang canals. In the
system. “At 5:21 am, I got a call from months of May and June short cotton
Karauli district that the swarm that plants dot the fields in this arid region.
settled on the forest for the night had But this year most farms wore a desolate
started moving and the wind direction look. Mahaveer Saran, who owns 5 ha in
suggested they could enter Dholpur,” says Beenjhbaila village, narrates how locusts
Dayashankar Sharma, deputy director at have pushed his entire village into penury
the district agriculture department. His overnight. “A gigantic 40 sq km swarm
team of 25 officers soon left for the ANCIENT ENEMY invaded our village on May 27. Some of my
bordering villages and alerted residen- neighbours ran to the market to buy
ts to resort to dhwani aur dhuan (sound
1802-1804: firecrackers as I made calls to the
and smoke). At around 7.15 am, a 10-km CROPS WERE agriculture office and organised people to
long swarm crossed into Dholpur at Jasora DESTROYED BY bang utensils, but to no avail. The officials
village. It was moving at 25-30 km per LOCUSTS IN did not show up. By the time the swarm
hour. The officials were on their toes. KUTCH, left around 12 pm the next day, they had
"They were carrying insecticides but it RESULTING IN eaten every leaf and shoot off our farms,”
can be sprayed only when the insects WIDESPREAD he says. Earlier that month, on May 10, an
settle at night. So, they joined the residents equally huge swarm invaded Lalawali
FAMINE. THEY
in stoking up the fire and beating utensils," village in Bikaner and destroyed all cotton
says Sharma who was waiting at Saipau
ATTACKED THE crops in two hours.
village road. It was supposed to be the REGION AGAIN Initial estimates by officials with the
next stopover for the swarm. But because IN 1834, agriculture department shows locusts
of smoke from nearby brick kilns, it CAUSING have mostly destroyed cotton crops in the
diverted its route and entered Pachgaon. ANOTHER state—4,500 ha in Sri Ganganagar, about
“The ones left behind would become FAMINE 9,000 ha in Hanumangarh, 830 ha in
food for lizards or birds," says Sharma. He Bikaner and 70 ha in Nagaur. On an
was relieved that his team and the others average, every hectare produces 2,000 kg
did not let the swarm settle anywhere in of cotton, that is sold for `1.20-`1.40 lakh.
the district and could drive it away before Farmers say they have never seen such
sunset. Because that's the time they huge swarms and so early in the year.
dread, when locusts are on the move. This trans-border pest usually enters
This gregarious species usually flies the scheduled desert areas of India from
during the day and lands just before Africa, Gulf and Southwest Asia via
sunset. If they settle on a farm, they Pakistan just ahead of the monsoon
devour whatever green they spot before season for summer breeding and then
flying out in the morning. According the returns around October and November
UN Food and Agriculture Organization towards Iran, Gulf and Africa for spring
(FAO), which considers desert locusts as breeding. But this year, according to the
the "most dangerous of all migratory pest Union agriculture ministry, they were
species" and runs the centralised sighted as early as April in the border
monitoring and information service, districts of Rajasthan and Punjab.
Locust Watch, a swarm of 1 sq km contains Residents of Lalawali say with this
COVER STORY /LOCUST ATTACK
Punjab Strong northwesterly Excess rainfall
Flight of the April 24 winds, created after during March-May
locust
the cyclone Amphan in northwestern,
18 carry locust swarms northern and
1 far and wide central India aided
00 Locust arrival date in their spread by
making ample fresh
Districts infested
Uttar Pradesh vegetation available
with locusts
May 26-28
Districts with
large excess 30
rainfall 2
Ground Zero
Unseasonal heavy
rainfall in Pakistan turned
locusts’ summer breeding
ground, adjoining India,
into spring breeding
ground. Hoppers and
young adults soon
crossed the border
Chhattisgarh
Rajasthan Gujarat May 31
April 11-30 June 1 13
1
23 16
23 2
Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh
Initial attack
May 26 May 26-28
May 13-19 May 20-26
Swarms Adults Swarms 31 47
4 16
Groups Groups
All India District Rainfall Statistics a gap of just two months,” says Babulal
(March 1 to May 25, 2020) Shaswat of Lalawali. On May 10, Shaswat
Large Excess (60% or more) and many other farmers in his village lost
Excess (20% to 59%) their third consecutive crop to locusts in
Normal or less than normal less than a year. “In September last year,
they devoured my standing cotton crop; in
Initial estimates peg total Overall wind direction February this year chana (black gram)
crop land destroyed at over India after super crop; and now, the American cotton,” says
50,000 ha; Rajasthan has cyclone Amphan is
lost 14,500 ha of cotton from the north west Shaswat. To recover the losses, several
crop to the infestation direction farmers in the village have taken loans
Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization; India Meteorological Department; ground reporatge and sowed cotton again. But it’s too hot for
the seeds to germinate. Shaswat says he is
early arrival, locust attacks have become in a fix. He plans to wait till the monsoon
an unending ordeal for them. Last year's and then sow groundnut. But people say
attack, considered a major locust invasion the locusts will come back during kharif.
after almost a decade, had also begun way “I do not know how I will pull through. So
ahead of the season, in May 2019, and far, I have accumulated a loan of `4.5 lakh
G R A P H I C: S A N J I T / C S E
continued till February this year. Data and have neither paid my instalments nor
with the ministry shows 11 districts in the school fees for my children since last
Rajasthan, two in Gujarat and one district year. My family is surviving on the
in Punjab were exposed to locusts during remittance sent by my brothers working
the period. "Now, they are here again after in Bikaner,” says Shaswat, adding that
such an invasion had occured two to three every tree, bush and other vegetation in the
decades ago. But this time the swarms are area. The drone was also employed to spray
just too big and too aggressive. insecticides on the hillocks of the Aravallis
They are also unusually pink. “Usually that border the district on one side.
sexually mature, yellow-coloured locusts At the end of the operation, it was hard
come first,” says B S Yadav, assistant to tell if there was anything more than a
director, agriculture department, Jaipur. few random locusts flying around. “The
They tend to stay on the ground and move swarm, of 180 sq km in size, entered India
less once they mate. It’s easier to spray on on May 22. We destroyed a part of it at
them and contain their spread. But this Nagaur district. The remaining came
year, the presence of hoppers (freshly here,” said a LWO official. But as soon as
hatched locusts that are yet to develop sunlight hit the trees, thousands of locusts
wings) has been reported since April 11 burst out of the canopies, blinded by
and pink immature adults since April 30. chemical sprays yet eager to fly away.
These younger pests tend to settle on In Uttar Pradesh, the district admini-
taller trees as compared to crops. They are stration of Jhansi has carried out control
like children full of energy and fly away as ANCIENT ENEMY operations thrice between May 22 and 27.
soon as you go near them, making it “LWO officials have been staying in Jhansi
difficult to manage them, says Yadav,
1810: FLIGHTS since the district was attacked by a
adding that it is unusual for the younger OF LOCUSTS swarm,” says Kamal Katihar, deputy
locusts to arrive at this time. Their APPEARED IN director of the district agriculture depar-
behaviour has also changed because of the THE BENGAL tment. “While we use chlorpyrifos, they
early arrival, says K L Gurjar, deputy PROVINCE. ON handle the highly poisonous Malathion96.
director at LWO. During monsoon and ONE OCCASION Besides, we never had the need for the
winter nights, their wings get stuck due THEY APPEARED chemical as this is the first attack in
moisture or dew and they cannot fly until Jhansi after 30 years,” says Katihar.
AS FAR SOUTH
the sun is out. Since the weather is dry While in Uttar Pradesh locusts have
now, they are able to fly even at night,
AS BROACH BUT invaded two districts, they have spread
making control operations difficult. DISAPPEARED across 40 of the 52 districts in Madhya
With an ability to ditch control mea- WITH THE Pradesh just within a week after entering
sures, fly high and cover long distances, BEGINNING OF the state. In Hoshangabad district, deputy
these swarms are now moving beyond the THE MONSOON director of agriculture Jitendra Singh
scheduled desert areas, taking people by OF 1812 says, moong is close to harvest now. "So as
surprise and posing challenges for LWO soon as the locusts entered the district on
that operates with a limited staff. May 23, we deployed four fire engines and
In Jaipur district, which reported mas- sprayers mounted on tractors to spray
sive locust attacks in the last week of May, lambda-cyhalothrin early in the morning.
Sachin Yogi, a 24-year-old wedding Crops in our district have been saved,” he
photographer, says, "I have only heard my adds. Though the agriculture department
grandfather talking about locusts." On claims it has destroyed 40 per cent of the
May 26, some 30 LWO officers, armed with a locust population, swarms were active in
drone and six ultra-low-volume sprayers, eight districts, including, Bhopal in the
Ulvamast, chalked out a war plan of sorts first week of June. Some have even crossed
along with 16 state government officials Madhya Pradesh to reach Koriya district
manning four fire tenders to destroy a of Chhattisgarh on May 31. As on June 7,
40 sq km swarm that had taken residence locusts had spread to 44 districts in seven
at Mahar kalan in Karanpur village. They states; control works were done on 70,728
were out on the roads all night, spraying ha; and, nine states are on high alert for a
solutions of highly toxic insecticides like possible attack. India had never faced a
chlorpyifos and lambda cyhalothrin on locust attack of such proportion.
COVER STORY /LOCUST ATTACK
The wind factor
Desert locusts are age-old threats. But now something is
changing in the way they spread and reproduce
S
TAYING ALERT is one way to gain to move eastward, who reached Ajmer by
the upper hand in a battle. But mid-May and Indore in Madhya Pradesh
understanding the changing on May 21. "This is because locusts have
strategy of the enemy is equally crucial, a strong liking for tender leaves and
particularly if it is a trans-boundary pest possess a strong sense of smell for fresh
with an ability to travel 150 km a day vegetation," says Biswajeet Paul, princi-
riding the wind current. Worse, in India ANCIENT ENEMY pal scientist at Indian Agricultural Res-
desert locusts appear to be expanding earch Institute (IARI), New Delhi, who
their territory both in terms of time and
1869: works on biologiocal control of insects.
space—they are now coming early, staying RAJASTHAN Since vegetation in their usual territory
longer and foraying deep into the country. SUFFERED in northwestern states is not lush green,
FAO says much of the country's current CONSIDERABLY the swarms are moving towards states
crisis was caused by the supercyclone FROM LOCUST like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra
Amphan that made landfall on the ATTACKS. VAST where cyclones and heavy unseasonal
Sundarbans on May 20. Strong northwes- SWARMS WERE rainfalls, induced by western disturbance
terly winds (that enter from northwest between March and May, have initiated
ALSO OBSERVED
and move towards southeast and east) vegetation growth. Paul says locust
BY SHIPS
were established in its aftermath, taking swarms are just taking the help of wind
locusts into places as far as Chhattisgarh PASSING currents to move in the direction of food
in the east and Maharashtra in south. An THROUGH THE so that they use less energy.
analysis of the wind data in six north RED SEA. OLD For an insect as big as a paper clip
Indian cities by the International Water RECORDS FROM and that travels across continents for
Management Institute, headquartered at THE 19TH AND survival, energy is a big asset which it
Colombo, also shows that there has been a EARLY 20TH must save for breeding. And there are
sharp increase in the wind speed at CENTURY SHOW only a few weeks left for it. It is estimated
10 meters above the ground from mid- that by the end of June, most swarms in
THAT THERE
May onward which has helped the locust the country would attain maturity. They
move from Rajasthan to faraway places.
HAVE BEEN would turn yellow and settle down for
As a result, Uttar Pradesh and Chhat- LOCUST CYCLES breeding. That would also be the time,
tisgarh have reported sightings of locust SINCE 1869: when monsoon rains would sweep across
swarms for the first time since 1962, 1869- 1881, northern and central India and kharif
Maharshtra since 1974 and Madhya 1889-1907, crop cycle would begin, making ample
Pradesh and Punjab since 1993. FAO 1912-1919 food available for them. While locusts
predicts locusts could soon reach Odisha AND 1926-1931 only nibble away the leaves of mature
and Bihar. They too have not experienced trees, they can gobble up entire saplings
locust attacks in recent decades. in a single morning, leaving no trace of
However, wind is not the only factor vegetation. If the infestation is not
responsible for this unusual spread. controlled now, their next generation
According to FAO, even before Amphan hit would threaten the country's food
the country, dry conditions prevailing in security that largely depends on kharif
the west forced immature adult swarms crops such as rice, maize and sorghum.LWO officials say as on June 8, over 1,500 Cotton farm of SO, HOW FAR FROM PLAGUE?
Mahaveer Saran,
ha in Rajasthan's Nagaur and Bikaner of Beenjhbaila
As of now, desert locusts are causing
districts were infested with yellow locusts. village in Sri outbreaks in at least 10 other countries in
Ganganagar
Paul says there is a possibility that the district of
the Horn of Africa and southwest Asia.
next generation that will hatch outside the Rajasthan. Before Though the scale and intesity of the
locusts attacked
traditional territory would be fewer in the village on May infestation is said to be the worst in
number. Adult locusts require sandy soil, 26, young plants decades, FAO describes this an "upsurge",
dotted the field
where they can make a hole, as deep as 10 meaning locusts have been able to breed
cm, to push in their abdomen and lay eggs. uncontrolled for several successive seas-
This is not possible in ordinary soil. So the ons. In an e-mail interview, Keith Cress-
swarms would lay pods with fewer eggs man, locust forecasting expert at FAO, tells
than the usual 200 to 250. But even these DTE, “The occurrence of a locust plague
small groups can cause mayhem at the depends on weather, rains, control and
local level. After all, they thrive in areas locust breeding before the end of the year.”
that are warm, roughly 25oC to 40oC, and However, such a declaration does not
have ample rainfall and green vegetation. seem too far. For the past three years,
When conditions are less favourable, Locusts have been breeding early and
locusts take up to six months to mature. multiplying profusely and spreading in
But given the right conditions, they can huge numbers due to a series of unusual
P H OTO: A D I T H YA N P C / C S E
breed every three months and increase 20- and extreme climate conditions.
fold in a single generation and about 400 For instance, locusts usually return
times in six months after two generations from Gujarat and Rajasthan to Pakistan
of breeding. This will have a disastrous and Iran between October and November.
impact at a time when rural areas are But last year, Rajasthan experienced an
facing reverse migration due to COVID-19. extended monsoon, which prompted theBACK TO CONTENT
2018: Cyclone Mekunu in May and Cyclone Luban in October caused heavy
GLOBAL SWARMING rain in the Arabian Peninsula and created lakes in deserts. It created
Climate change-triggered events like cyclones have resulted in breeding conditions for locusts which are found in the region round the year.
The numbers swell and they start moving across continents
extended and multiple breeding seasons for locusts. They now
spend most of the year in India, causing frequent attacks April 2019: Locust swarms cross over the Persian Gulf
and reach Iran-Pakistan, cause heavy loss of crop
1 Apr - 14 May 2020 July 2020: If rains are
limited during June in Cyclone Mekunu Persian Gulf
Swarms Hopper bands Afghanistan
COVER STORY
Sudan, swarms would go to
Adults groups Hopper groups eastern Chad in June-end, Iraq Rub al-khali Pakistan
migrate further west in the desert
Saudi Arabia
Sahel, reaching eastern Mali
in mid-July and southeast Eritrea
Mauritania in late July Iran
Red Sea
Morocco
/LOCUST ATTACK
Algeria Libya 2 3
Egypt
1
Oman India
Mauritania Niger
Mali
Chad Sudan Cyclone Luban May 2019: Western
Rajasthan receives rain
Yemen in six weeks ahead of
Cyclone Pawan schedule, creating food
2019 and breeding conditions
KN OW TH Y HO P P ER for locusts in Pakistan.
Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) are short-horned 4 Swarms reported on
grasshoppers with a highly migratory nature. They differ Ethiopia May 21. Extended
Somalia July 2020: For the first time the
from grasshoppers in that they have the ability to change monsoon continues till
locusts might also reach the November and locusts
their behaviour and can migrate over large distances with Kenya western regions of Gujarat and
the help of winds. They live for 90 days and can eat food stay on, breeding thrice
Rajasthan directly from the Horn of and swelling
equivalent to their weight in a day. They feed on green, Africa, traversing the huge expanse
leafy plants and always travel during the day time. Nov 2019-Jan 2020: of the Arabian Sea April 2020: Excess
Congregation of adult locust is called swarm while that of Locusts wreak havoc rainfall in March,
nymphal locusts is called band. An average locust in Horn of Africa April and May bring
swarm can have 8 million back locust swarms
locusts and eats as much March 2020: Monsoon Calm: No threat to crops, but swarms must to india
food in one day as 2,500 winds bring above-average be regularly monitored
people or 10 elephants. rainfall; second-generation
Locust grow exponentially breeding underway Caution: Increased vigilance and protective Threat: Crops threatened. Surveys and
with each generation measures for crops may be needed protective measures must be taken
G R A P H I C: S A N J I T / C S E Source: Food and Agriculture Organizationswarms to stay back. By the time, they the highest eight cyclonic events in a year.
returned in February this year, they had The swarms enjoyed the unusually wet
given birth to third-generation insects. weather, growing even larger. Soon they
During the current infestation, their early swept through adjoining countries. In
crossover to India is also linked to unseas- Kenya, where agriculture dominates the
onal rainfall in the deserts of Pakistan, country's economy, they have caused the
adjoining India that act as summer largest outbreak in 70 years; so far, it has
breeding ground for locusts. “We are lost 30 per cent of its pastureland. A study
seeing an increase in swarms from published in Nature on April 12, 2018,
Pakistan this time as the locusts' spring says extreme positive IOD events could
breeding has happened right across the double in frequency in case of 1.5oC
border. Usually spring breeding is warming above the pre-industrial levels.
ANCIENT ENEMY
restricted to Iran and Baluchistan,” says In March, as monsoon winds hit the
K L Gurjar, deputy director at LWO. Till the 1926: DESERT region, East Africa has again received
the end of May, at least 25 swarms had LOCUST APPEAR above-average rainfall. FAO says a second-
crossed over to India. Such unseasonal AFTER A GAP OF generation breeding is underway there.
rain events are only going to increase in a Numerous hopper bands have formed.
6 YEARS IN
warming world. These young juveniles, 400 times more in
In Arabian Peninsula and East Africa
SINDH AND number, will become voracious adults
also, locusts are multiplying profusely due RAJASTHAN between second week of June and mid-
to changes in a climate system, the Indian AND BREED July just as farmers begin to harvest.
Ocean Dipole (IOD)—a natural pattern of PROFUSELY. THE “The locusts, combined with the impacts
changing temperature gradients between ATTACK of COVID-19, could have catastrophic conse-
eastern and western portions of the Indian REACHES ITS quences on livelihoods and food security,”
Ocean. Historically, this temperature diff- PEAK IN 1929-30 said Qu Dongyu, director-general of FAO at
erence has stayed within safe limits. But WHEN ALL a virtual meeting on May 22.
in recent years, the western side of the India, which is still struggling to
PROVINCES OF
Indian Ocean, or the Arabian Sea, has flatten the COVID-19 infection curve despite
been unusually warm as compared to the
NORTH WEST imposing the world's most stringent and
eastern side. This change, dubbed positive INDIA ARE longest nation-wide lockdown, stares at an
diapole, causes a lot of evaporation from INFESTED AND uncertain future. FAO warns that more
the area and then returns as additional SWARMS REACH swarms are forming in the spring breeding
rain or cyclones to the region. AS FAR AS areas of Iran and Pakistan and migrating
In 2018, IOD remained positive for most ASSAM IN THE towards India ahead of the monsoon rains.
parts of the year, leading to the formation EAST AND “Several successive waves of invasions can
of cyclone Mekunu in May and cyclone be expected until July in Rajasthan with
HYDERABAD
Luban in October. They first caused severe eastward surges across northern India as
floods in the Arabian deserts and then the
IN THE SOUTH far as Bihar and Orissa, followed by
growth of lush vegetation, causing locusts westward movements and a return to
to congregate and breed far more rapidly Rajasthan on the changing winds
than they would when food is scarce. It is associated with the monsoon,” it says. To
said that the rain also triggered dormant compound the situation, in July, for the
locust eggs to hatch. Just nine months and first time the locusts might also reach the
three generations later, locusts had western regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan
increased by 8,000 times and were ready directly from the Horn of Africa, traversing
to expand their territory. the huge expanse of the Arabian Sea.
In the summer of 2019, they jumped Most of them will come from northeast
the Gulf of Aden and moved to Ethiopia Somalia riding southwesterly monsoon
and Somalia. That period was marked by wind. Is India prepared to handle this
an even stronger positive IOD, resulting in sudden upsurge?COVER STORY /LOCUST ATTACK
How to ward off?
All the ammunitions currently in use against locusts can have
serious health and environmental impacts
I
N MAY 2019 when the Union and oride (BHC), dieldrin, fenitrothion and
state governments were caught off- malathion. While the use of BHC and
guard by the locust attack, their dieldrin has stopped after the government
response was to pass the buck. Union banned them, malathion is now the
minister of state for agriculture Kailash preferred insecticide by LWO. Agriculture
Choudhary during his visit to the affected officials who accompany them during
areas blamed Pakistan, while the control operations mostly use chlorpyrifos
Rajasthan government complained that and lambda cyhalothrin. Surprisingly, on
the Centre had not provided any help to May 14, the Union agriculture ministry
control the menace. But the fact was since ANCIENT ENEMY issued a draft proposal on the ban of 27
the last major locust upsurge in 1993, insecticides likely to "involve risk to
both the state and the Union governments 1929: THE human beings and animals". The list
had become complacent. GOVERNMENT includes malathion and chlorpyrifos.
“LWO was on the verge of getting OF COLONIAL Though the ministry says the insecticides
disbanded because no locust attack had INDIA REALISES can be used on locusts, it does highlight
happened in over two decades,” says a THE SERIOUS the toxic-effects of the chemicals on
district agriculture official, who does not PROPORTIONS human health and the environment (see
wish to be named. As on June 2018, as 'Toxic tale'). During the five weeks till
OF LOCUST
many as 117 of the 250 positions were June 7, LWO has used 70,700 litres of
lying vacant across its 12 circle offices.
MENACE, AND malathion during operations over 71,000
“This time we were prepared," says K L INCLUDES THE hectares across 43 districts. Between May
Gurjar, deputy director, LWO. "Now we TOPIC IN THE last year to February this year, LWO had
have more than 200 staff personnel. Last AGENDA OF THE used 3,02,686 liters of malathion.
year, we had just 45 vehicles. Now, we BOARD OF The use of insecticides in such huge
have placed an order for 55 control vehicles AGRICULTURE. quantities has raised alarm among many.
and 60 ultra-low-volume spray vehicles.” IN 1939, THE M S Swaminathan, the father of Green
LWO has also improved its monitoring Revolution, on June 3 took to Twitter and
LOCUST
system and uses the eLocust2 device said: "The #locust menace is causing seri-
developed by FAO to monitor the movement
WARNING ous damage to agriculture. Farmers are
of swarms on a real-time basis. Locust ORGANISATION worried. The best way to control locust
officers on the field enter all survey and IS SET UP invasion is spray neem seed decoction over
control related data into the handheld plants. Neem is a strong repellent & also a
device which then transmits the fertilizer. I hope our farmers will manage
information via satellite. This is the serious threat to crop security."
complimented by the village level data Biswajeet Paul, principal scientist at IARI,
provided by agriculture supervisor, says the volume of insecticides used
farmers and revenue officials. currently is atrocious. Fire engines spray
However, there does not appear to be bigger droplets that hold large amount of
much changes in the insecticides being pesticides. This will cause severe pollution.
used. In 1993, during the last locust "Unfortunately, spraying of chemical
upsurge, LWO was using benzene hexachl- insecticides is the only effective methodToxic tale It needs 4-5 times more insecticides than used for pests to kill locusts
CHLORPYRIFOS LAMBDA MALATHION 96
It belongs to the class of CYHALOTHRIN Being an organophosphate
organophosphates, which are essentially It belongs to the class of pyrethroid pesticide, it can be absorbed
nerve agents, attacking chemical insecticides, which are known for by all routes. It can cause
pathways and causing a breakdown in moderate acute toxicity to humans and numbness, tingling sensation,
the ability of nerves to communicate. can cause irritation to the skin, throat, headache, dizziness, difficulty
One can be exposed to it nose and other body breathing,
by inhaling, eating, or parts. Some temporary weakness,
getting it on the skin. symptoms of irritation
Being moderately exposure includes of skin,
persistent in soil, skin tingling, abdominal
it can take weeks burning and cramps
to years to break prickling feelings, and death,
down; can reach rivers, particularly around the depending
lakes and streams where face. In severe poisoning on the exposure
it accumulates in the fatty tissue of fish. cases, seizures and coma may occur. Its level. EU recognises it as an
In surface water in urban areas and in residue in agricultural or urban runoff endocrine disrupter. It is however
agricultural areas, it has been found at sediment have been found to be toxic to highly toxic to honeybee,
levels potentially harmful to aquatic life. aquatic organisms including fish earthworms and leads to soil
Its use is not approved in the EU. and amphipods. contamination.
when desert locusts are in such large nu- hoppers, it instructs them to resume
mbers," said Keith Cressman of FAO at a solitary behaviour. However, it is being
webinar by DTE. However, experiments experimented. It has been found exposure
over last three decades show promise. to this chemical confuses the insects who
often show cannibalistic behaviour.
ANCIENT ENEMY
BIO-CONTROL METHODS Then we have chemicals that work as
At present, there are three major 1993: insect growth regulators (IGRs) that
contenders. One is the spores of fungus THE LAST hinders the ability of hoppers to moult
Metarhizium acridum. When it falls on MAJOR LOCUST and grow properly. Ingredients of the
the locust, it germinates and penetrates OUTBREAK, neem tree come in this category. Its
the body of the insect. It then kills the chemicals are similar to the shape and
WHEN 172
insect both by expanding its filaments structure of locust’s own hormones.
and releasing toxins on the insect. Some
INVASIONS When a locust’s body absorbs neem
70 to 90 per cent of the locust treated with WERE NOTED. compounds, these block its endocrine
it die within 14 to 20 days. In 2009. FAO FOLLOWING system and affect its behaviour and
recommended the use of Green Muscle™, THIS, LOCUST physiology. They fail to reproduce and
a Metarhizium biopesticide by the Interna- OUTBREAKS their populations plummets. Lab
tional Institute for Tropical Agriculture. HAPPENED IN experiments show neem oil can also
This year, FAO has ordered 4 tonnes of it to 1997, 2005, 2010 induce “solitarisation” among them. As
treat 80,000 ha in Somalia. The fungus neem trees grow well in locust affected
AND 2015 AS
has also been used in China, Australia, areas, the oil required to control the
Brazil and African nations like Tanzania.
WELL, BUT THE swarm can be locally produced.
Locust pheromone, phenylacetonitrile, INTENSITY There are very few takers for these
can also be used to control the swarms. It WAS MILD methods despite proven effectiveness and
governs swarming behaviour in adult low cost. Locusts attacks are only going to
males who use it to warn other males to increase with changing climate. It's time
leave them in peace while they mate. we got our ammunition right. D T E
When a minute dose is used on juvenile @down2earthindiaYou can also read
