Daily Times

Locust, a short-horned grasshopper in the family of Acrididae, is not new to Pakistan. It caused devastation to Pakistani agriculture in 1950s, 1960s and 1990s. In response to take measures to avert locust threat in Karachi metropolis, provincial Minster for agriculture suggested to aghast Karachi denizens to make good biryani out of locust.

Earlier reports expressed fear in June over the arrival of locusts. Some claimed locust came from Iran, others held that the insects flew from India. Before reaching Sindh provincial capital, the large swaths of locusts played havoc with the lush green organic crops in Tharparkar and Sanghar Districts as well as other adjoining areas of Sindh.

Social media was also awash with similar remedies of getting rid of these insects by resorting to feasting on them instead. But this solution of decreasing the large swaths of locusts by eating was in practice when agriculture science had not developed and was practiced on outdated methods. Solution to locust threat by frying and eating them was and is just a myth. Is it humanly possible for few people to catch million flying insects? The fumigation came is second thought or as last resort for authorities. And what use of the insect killing spray would be when insects has already caused irreversible damage. After causing avoidable damage to crops and natural fauna in Thar and other eastern parts of Sindh and in Memon Goth in Karachi, on November 16, 2019, large flocks of locust entered in the vicinity of Dadu Distract.

The farmers are worried. As large treks of prime land remained barren for last three decades due to acute shortage of water in barrage areas and equally orphaned spate irrigation in semi desert kachho area spreading over 40,000 hectors but due to mismanagement and neglect its potential is not fully realized. But nature became benevolent this year and good rains and successive high flows of Nai Gaj and other smaller streams brought Kachho into life and large parts of highly fertile land were brought under cultivation.

Social media was also awash with similar remedies of getting rid of these insects by resorting to feasting on them instead. But this solution of decreasing the large swaths of locusts by eating them was in practice when agriculture science had not developed and was practiced on outdated methods. Solution to locust threat by frying and eating them was and is just a myth

Widespread organic corps cultivation have checked mass migration and kindled hopes for better times for drought affected farmers but untimely rain and impending threat of Locust has put the future of famers on high risk of losing billions of rupees invested in growing crops. Related quarters might have taken the precautionary measure when locust was flocking from India or when they have entered Tharparkar. But nothing moved the concerned authorities. Research and Development Foundation (RDF), a Hyderabad, Sindh based nongovernmental organization working in different districts of Sindh, on agriculture, water and Education, educated farmers to cope with locust threat. Mr Ashafaqe Soomro, Executive Director, RDF Said that controlling locust through spray has negative impact on environment and other modern and local methods to control the locust threat should be applied. The preventive measures suggested to farmers in Tharparkar by RDF team included, digging 1/2 feet ditches around field, collecting locust at night time on torch light and driving away, locust by noise making tools.

In Dadu District RDF team after getting news of locust impending arrival, contacted agriculture extension department Dadu, got information of prevention measures and shared with farmers and grower leaders through Whatsapp, Facebook and phone text messages.

Ali Nawaz Kalhoro Deputy Director, agriculture extension department shared that ‘”Locust jumping nymphs in Islamkot Tharparkar will soon migrate to west after becoming full winged adults.

It should be noted that overlapping generations are scattered in Thar areas of Sindh, Punjab and India. Now they are in dangerous mode. Hopefully it is time for grasshoppers to migrate towards west. Growers are advised to be vigilant and try to drive out the locust flock with some devices like beating empty tin boxes to fly away these from the crops and be alert until the threat is completely averted. RDF Project Team leader, spade irrigation project translated instruction from English to Sindhi (local language) and shared these instruction with leader of farmers.

It is rightly said that need is mother of invention.

“When locust attacked standing crops, trees and shrubs in the areas of Chachro, Dahli, Nagarparkar in Tharparkar, the locals used preventive measures like putting stones in empty plastic bottles and shacked these bottles repeatedly. This noise made the insect to fly away” wrote manoj Geani from tharparkar. Other measures adopted the farmers included beating tin and creating smoke to drive away these grasshoppers. Local farmers say that the evening time is favourable reproduction time for these insects and female locust laying eggs causes small holes in the ground. According to local farmers from Tharparak and Sanghar, concerned government departments started preventing fumigation in some areas but there too spray proved ineffective to completely drive way the locust. Locals from Tharparkar rubbished the news of eating locust, they said that even their livestock does not like to eat the fodder or grass touched by locusts as the insects left behind unfavourable smell, then how can they eat the insect.

When this winter asked a Thari famer about his comment on locust attack, he tearfully said that the locust destroyed his 2 acre crop and completely wiped the only source of his livelihood. Ali Akbar Rahimoo, a social and political activist from Umerkot while sharing his views with this scribe, took the issue head-on “Pakistan calamity act enacted in 1958 has become outdated and does not meet the needs of present. He added that during 1950s and onward the nature of the climate was different. Now after climate change era we have entered in climate strike phases. Attack of locust should be taken as calamity and National Calamity Act should be amended with inclusion of climate strike scenario”. Rahimoo further stated that “for the first time heavy rains were experienced in November across the Tharparkar dessert and this provided favourable environment for locust growth and worst locust attack”. He said that in past when scattered rain resulted in scattered crop cultivation and when locust arrived and were driven away by farmers and on finding no other next crop at nearest location during their flight they perished. But this time as whole Thar land was sprouting lush green crops and shrubs this provide conducive and sustaining ground for survival, growth and multiplying environment to locust which must should have been treated as natural disaster.

In past when locust’s larva’s who could not flay but only crawl was in small number, farmers just dug ditches and after driving these larvas to fall in ditches, buried these with soil but this time number and intensity of the locust was so mammoth that local coping mechanism could not work.

If climate change turning into climate strike has high potential to shrink and destroy natural resources and livelihood sources, then modern technology and information explosion has created high potential to cope with these challenges and help in mitigating its destructive impacts. The killing of 29 people and hundreds of livestock by lightening in Tharparkar and damage caused by locusts to farmers’ livelihood might had been averted or mitigated if affordable anti lightening strike instruments had been installed and sprays had been done through helicopters. However, one hopes against the hope that from legislators to officialdom and from researchers to non-governmental organisations would join hands to take sincere and concerted efforts in amending calamity act, including lightening and locust threats in calamity act, researching alternate environmental friendly coping methods applied in other countries and empowering and reinvigorate National, Provincial and District Disaster Management Authorities, agriculture extension department and ministry, plant protection department and host of other related institutions to undertake action research and deliver in mitigating if not averting these calamities fully.

The writer can be reached at gulsherp@yahoo.com