Most Effective Ways To Overcome Locust Attack’s Problem | UPSC

• DESTRUCTION : Locust invasions are dramatic and sudden — and they destroy everything green that comes in their way.
• GROWTH : Heavy rains triggered the growth of vegetation in arid areas of southern Iran and southwest Pakistan where locusts then grew and bred.
• MIGRATION : These locusts migrated to India in early 2020 and found greener pastures due to pre-monsoon rains in March-May.
• MOVEMENT : Locust are short-horned grasshoppers move together as bands and swarm over long distances crossing over countries and continents rapidly.
• LIFE CYCLE : They take rapid advantage of the climate and geography, survive in temperature range of 0-60 degrees Celsius and prolong or cut short their life cycle.
• SUCCESSION : During the course of one or two successive generations, they change in shape and colour to become bold yellow from the neutral brown.

LEADING EVENTS

• FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS :  Extended humid conditions gave rise to favourable breeding conditions for locusts for almost nine months, which remained undetected and hence, uncontrolled.
• JANUARY 2019 :  first swarms of locusts left the Empty Quarter desert to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and southwest Iran.
• FEBRUARY TO JUNE 2019 : Widespread spring breeding in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran led to the formation of a large numbers of swarms.
• UNSUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS : But control operations were largely unsuccessful in Iran and Yemen.
• JUNE-DECEMBER 2019: Swarms invaded the Indo-Pakistan border from Iran; up to three generations grew in the summer breeding in India.

• GREEN VEGETATION : These extended rains created excellent breeding conditions and led to the development of lush green vegetation in Rajasthan and Gujarat, on which the locusts could feed.
• PINK SWARMS : In October, more locust swarms arrived from the west and laid eggs that upon getting congenial environmental conditions, developed into pink swarms.

COMBATING STRATEGIES: SHORT-TERM MEASURES

• ROBUST APPROACH : A robust approach by the Union government agencies and various departments of states is required for effective desert locust control.
• EARLY STAGE : Locusts are most vulnerable when they are in the hopper stage.

• LIVESTOCK PRECAUTIONS : At the same time, farmers should be advised to not take their livestock for grazing in area being sprayed on with pesticide for at least one week.
• WARNING : The Locust Warning Organisation deals with locust crisis in India.
• RESOURCE MOBILISATION :As part of the locust control measure, the central government deployed multiple resources and established temporary control camps.
• DRONES : Drones will also be used to spray pesticides on tall trees and inaccessible places for effective control of locusts.
• AERIAL SPRAY : Plans to deploy helicopters for aerial spray are afoot.

LONG-TERM MEASURES

• TRACKING : The Indian Meteorological Department should provide the wind pattern data for proper tracking of the movement of locust swarms.
• PROTECTIVE GEARS : Some of them include wearing face masks, hand gloves, personal protective equipment, washing hands, observing social distancing and observing personal hygiene to protect.