Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved Rs286 million, apart from de-freezing Rs132 million of agriculture department to start pesticide spray operation against locust which has already damaged crops standing over 166,701 acres. He took this decision on Saturday while presiding over a meeting here at CM House. Through video link the meeting was attended by Minister Agriculture Ismail Rahu, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Agriculture Raheem Soomro, senior officers of Plant Protection department of the federal government and the officers of agriculture extension. Minister Agriculture Ismail Rahoo briefing the chief minister said that locust swarm has been reported in Jacoabad on April 25, 2017. He said that the other affected districts were Shikarpur, Larkana, Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Matiari, Dadu, Gadap and Malir of Karachi, Jamshoro and Hyderabad. It was pointed out that nymphol population/hooper bands were present in desert areas of Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Shaheed benaziarabad, Khairpur, Sukkur and Ghotki, At this the chief minister said that the locust could move to cropping area which was a standing threat, therefore he directed agriculture department continue their control operation. The Plant Protection department of the federal government representatives told the chief minister that they have assisted the Sindh government in control operation in Ghotki, Kashmore and Khairpur where sparyed over 17,372 acres. Minister agriculture said that the Agriculture Extension teams have also conducted spray in all districts and covered the area of 24,867 acres. The overall 41500 acres in all 18 districts have been covered through spray.The chief minister was told that survey and control operation in cropping areas has been carried out by the agriculture department which has procured vehicles mounted with 45 sprayers. The Minister Agriculture once again requested the chief minister to talk to the federal government for provision six aircrafts, ULV sprayers, pesticides, including ULV, LambaCyhalothrine Emulsified Concentrate (EC) in sufficient quantity and deploy their field teams.The chief secretary told the chief minister that he had held a number of meetings on locust control. He said that at present the agriculture department has need of Rs 286 million for purchase of 25 sprayer mounted vehicles, chemicals, pesticides. The chief minister approved the release of Rs286 million and directed finance department to release Rs132 million it had frozen under Coronavirus emergency measures.
