The state Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel on Thursday said that the government is planning to declare the locust swarm attacks as natural disaster, following a survey on the losses accrued to them.
"Farmers will be able to get compensation for the losses due to locust swarm attacks when the problem is declared a natural disaster," Patel said.
The Minister further said that the government is not only planning to eliminate locusts but their eggs too for long-term relief from their attacks.
He added that the government is discussing measures to control locusts with scientists.
Various areas of MP have till date been hit by the locusts, including parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pardesh as well. On may 25, swarms of locusts arrived in Malhargarh area of Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district.
"Scientists from central locust team and agricultural science department conducted an exercise and removed around 60 per cent of them by spraying," said Manoj Pushp, Mandsaur District Magistrate.
Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Department on Sunday informed Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and bordering districts of the State about the possibility of locust attack and asked them to take preventive steps accordingly.
"It said that at the point of the attack by the locusts, the farmers should make noise by playing the drums, plates, etc. "The farmers can also spray the recommended agricultural defence chemicals like tractor mounted sprayers, power sprayers, etc," adds the statement.
During the current year, locust swarms have entered India earlier than their normal time of June and July. States are adopting various means to control the swarm of locust," said Spokesperson, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Meanwhile, to deal with a common enemy, India has proposed a coordinated response to tackle Desert Locust along the border to Pakistan and also offered to facilitate the supply of insecticide Malathion to Islamabad for the same.
This comes amid nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
