The Sindh agriculture department has announced that two airplanes and eight vehicles will be used in the fight against locusts in various districts of the province.
These will be used in the efforts to eliminate locusts from the region. A spokesperson for the agriculture ministry announced the decision saying, “The plant protection department of the ministry of national food security and research has provided two aeroplanes and eight vehicles to help us in combating the locust in various districts of Sindh.” Ismail Rahu, the Agriculture Minister confirmed this by explaining that such a help from the federal government had been made only after the loss of several days after locusts had already caused havoc in various areas of the province. Rahu told reporters, “Had the federal government acted promptly in eradicating locust in Sindh, this menace would have not headed towards Punjab and Balochistan.” He further added that the Sindh government made several attempts to warn the federal government about the locusts issue but the federal government turned a blind eye as the destruction caused by the locusts was already far too expensive for the national economy. The minister added, “Even the federal government is not too attentive towards this issue and if it continues to be oblivious towards the menace, locust swarms could head towards Islamabad and Banigala.” He also explained that the two planes and eight vehicles provided by the plant protection department were being used in conjunction with 23 vehicles of the provincial government to combat locusts. He also revealed that a plane, spray machines and several vehicles were being used to combat locusts in the Umerkot district and parts of the Khairpur district including the Nara desert and Tajal. These areas are most affected the locusts issue. He said, “Teams of our agriculture department are working from dawn to dusk.” In additional to this, 55 field teams of the provincial government were engaged in manual spraying with each team comprising of four to five employees. Moreover, the minister added that 15 teams of his department were busy in a survey of the affected areas to assess the losses incurred to the economy because of locusts. Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had earlier criticised the federal government for it’s lack of action regarding the locusts problem. Bhutto’s government in Sindh crosses one decade. He cited a similar situation in the past when his mother, Benazir Bhutto, was the Prime Minister during which the federal government got helicopters from different countries to attempt to eradicate the locusts on time. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah lately said the elimination of locust swarm was the responsibility of the federal government and it was not playing its role. He said the Sindh government had provided Rs10 million to the plant protection department for purchase of pesticides for the locust. Keep up to date with more news at ProperGaanda: Dua Mangi’s Kidnappers Involved In Police Shoot Out Before Her Release