Rajasthan: Locusts swarms destroy crops in Dholpur; farmers panic

Locust swarms on Monday attacked Sarmathura area of Dholpur district in Rajasthan, creating panic among farmers.

"A group of 10-15 locust swarms were seen in the area earlier as well. This time, they entered again through Madhya Pradesh. From here, the locusts moved to nearby areas. At one point of time, we were getting information about these insects from seven to eight villages simultaneously," a spokesperson of the state's agriculture department said.

Pointing out that guidelines have already been issued to local farmers, he added, "The agriculture team was alert and they continued to trace these locusts with help of locals. We also suggested farmers on how to save their agriculture fields in case of such attacks. They have started banging utensils and making noises to scare these insects away."

In recent times, swarms of locust have created menace across the country, destroying crops.

Recently, helicopters were deployed in Jaisalmer to spray pesticides on large scale. Swarms of locust were also seen in different parts of the country, including in Punjab and Haryana, where they have destroyed a large number of crops.