Lok Sabha Question No. 2724 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-14
Subject: Locusts Attack
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ramesh Chander Kaushik, Navneet Ravi Rana

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2724

TO BE ANSWERED ON  14 TH  DECEMBER 2021

## LOCUSTS ATTACKS

## †2724. SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK: SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA:

Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the locusts attack has severely damaged crops in the past few years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c) the  details  of  the  preparations  being  made  by  the  Government  to  save  the crops of farmers from the attack of locusts in the near future; and
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any survey to know the reasons for the locusts attack and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) & (b): Locust attack is not a regular phenomenon and large scale incursions occur in cycles of heightened activity for a couple of years followed by long periods of inactivity. Locust attacks were reported in India during 2019-20 and 2020-21 when locusts migrated to India after a gap of 26 years.  During 2019-20, locust incursion was  reported  in  three  States,  Rajasthan,  Gujarat  and  Punjab,  while  in  2020-21, locust  incursion  was  reported  in  ten  States,  Rajasthan,  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The details of crop loss in the affected stated are given at Annexure.

(c): The aforesaid locust incursions were effectively controlled with concerted and coordinated  efforts  of  the  Central  Government,  State  Governments  and  farmers. Government of India has established  8 Locust Circle Offices in Rajasthan & two in Gujarat, one Locust Warning Organisation (LWO) at Jodhpur, and one Field Station for  Investigations  on  Locusts  (FSIL)  at  Bikaner.  Awareness  campaigns  were organized in the affected States in districts, blocks and villages level; advisories and the  Standard  Operating  Procedures(SOP)  circulated  and  training  programs/mock drills were conducted.

O.I.H.

Government has  also  strategized  its  preparedness,  strengthened  its  capacity and enhanced its survey and control capabilities. The following measures have been taken in this regard:

-  70 new spray equipment have been procured from United Kingdom to increase the number of ground control teams.
-  55 new vehicles have been procured to augment mounted spray equipment.
-  To strengthen aerial control capabilities, use of drones and helicopters have been introduced.
-  5 CDA  atomizer kits have been ordered from UK  based company  for strengthening aerial spray capabilities for installation in IAF helicopters.
-  Sufficient buffer stock of pesticides is maintained for locust control.
-  65 elocust3g (satellite based device for survey and communication) supplied by FAO.
-  Consolidated  SOP  for  locust  control  is  developed  and  shared  with  State Agriculture Department in 10 locust-affected States.
-  National Workshops on Locust control in collaboration with FAO to train Master Trainers  was  organised  in  February  and  November  this  year.  Mock-drills  have been  carried  out  to  evaluate  the  preparedness  plan  of  locust  control.  Locust Awareness Programme has been organised among the State Govt. Official and farmers to create awareness.
-  Temporary camps have been identified for emergency control in case of locust incursion in Scheduled Desert Areas.
-  Fortnightly  bulletins  on  status  of  locusts  and  latest  information  are  released  by the FAO and regularly sent to the State Agricultural Departments.

(d): Desert Locust Survey is conducted every year on more than 150 lakh hectare in Scheduled Desert area of Rajasthan & Gujarat. During survey, data is recorded in elocust3m tab on weather parameter i.e., rainfall, vegetation density, locust population,  etc.  and  same  data  transferred  from  tab  to  Desert  Locust  Information Officer (DLIO) for further transmission to FAO. FAO collects such survey data from sixty  countries  and  according  to  survey  data  FAO  issues  forewarning,  forecasting about locust situation globally.

As  per  the  FAO,  the  upsurge  developed  in  2019  due  to  two  cyclones  that brought  heavy  rains  to  the  Arabian  Peninsula  in  May  &  October  2018  that  was exacerbated by Desert Locust outbreaks along the Red Sea coast during the winter of 2019. Further, due to conflicts in the Central & East African Region, regular survey & control operation was severely hampered, thus leading to successive generation of desert locust during early 2019.

India is a member country of SWAC (South West Asia Commission) & DLCC (Desert  Locust  Control  Committee)  and  regularly  participates  in  monthly  meetings conducted by FAO, under South West Asia Commission (SWAC) for exchange of information on actual status, movement and control of locust in the region.

## Annexure

## Annexure  referred in reply to part (a) and (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2724 for reply on 14.12.2021

| 2019-2020      | 2019-2020              | 2019-2020                   |
|----------------|------------------------|-----------------------------|
| States         | Affected Area in hect. | %damage                     |
| Rajasthan      | 1,57,279               | Above 33%                   |
| Gujarat        | 22,067                 | Above 33%                   |
| Punjab         | -Nil-                  | -Nil-                       |
| 2020-21        | 2020-21                | 2020-21                     |
| Rajasthan      | 489.72                 | Above 33%                   |
| Gujarat        | No crop loss           | Nil                         |
| Punjab         | No crop loss           | Nil                         |
| Chhattisgarh   | No crop loss           | Nil                         |
| Bihar          | No crop loss           | Nil                         |
| Uttarakhand    | Minimal loss           | Nil                         |
| Haryana        | Minimal loss           | Nil                         |
| Maharashtra    | 805.8                  | Below 33%                   |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 28.86                  | Very nominal                |
| Madhya Pradesh | 4400                   | Partial crop loss of 10-15% |

*****