KATHMANDU, July 10: The locusts that are currently at Rajasthan, India, are heading toward the northeast, posing a risk of entering Nepal, according to experts.
According to the Locust Information Center at Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, five swarms that are the size of 400 hectares of land around Rajasthan are projected to head towards Sitapur, Sahajahapur of Uttar Pradesh. The swarms that should be heading toward the western deserts of Rajasthan might head east if the weather becomes favorable for them. Though they are not active during night and when it is raining, there still is a possibility that the swarms might enter Nepal as they move according to the wind direction.
Locusts spread out in 28 districts
The wind direction is expected to lead the swarm from Rajasthan to places like Hariyana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. “Of the swarm heading toward these places, there is a possibility of these entering Nepal,” reads the advisory issued by the Locust Information Center. The center has requested people residing in Tarai and inner Tarai areas to adopt special and necessary preparation in case the swarm enters Nepal.
Similarly, five swarms of locusts in Dhausa which lies between Jaypur and Agra are spread in about 525 hectares of areas. The swarms are headed northeast and are expected to reach Allahabad in three days.
The Locust Information Center is keeping an eye on the trajectory prediction and is monitoring the situation in coordination with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
