Staff Reporter
Islamabad
National Locusts Control Centre (NLCC) on Thursday said that due to joint and coordinated efforts of the concern departments no presence of locust in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was reported. However, it said that active breeding was taking place in Tharparkar and some areas of Cholistan, besides swarms developing in Nangarparkar was likely to fledge by mid-August.
A press release issued by NLCC said that anti-locust survey and control operations was also in progress in areas where the presence of locust was found including Tharparkar and Karachi. Under anti-locust drive about 4,703 square kilometer area of Balochistan Province had been treated as 232 joint teams of the Ministry of National Food Security, provincial agriculture departments and the Pakistan Army were conducting a comprehensive survey and control operation against the locusts in effected districts. In Balochistan the operation was carried out with the help of 112 vehicles and 1,288 people took part in anti-locust operation.
Meanwhile, in Punjab 4,589.60 square kilometers area has been treated as 539 teams comprising on 2,830 people and 388 vehicles took part in anti-locust operation. In Khyber Pukhtunkhwa about 625.35 square kilometers has been treated with the help of 80 teams,106 vehicles and 847 people.
