RAHIM YAR KHAN-Swarms of locusts on Wednesday entered main Rahim Yar Khan city and adjoining areas and remained there for hours.
The locusts entered the city and adjoining areas including Dari Sanghi, Chak 5 NP, Amangarh, Jaffarabaf, Sarbhori, Bindor and Kaacha Wednesday afternoon.
The mature locusts were in millions and initially they started sitting on trees due to foggy weather. But later locusts also sat in the courtyards and roofs of the houses in the whole city and remained there for hours. People started to make their pictures and videos on their cellphones and shared on the social media immediately.
Director General Agriculture Punjab (Pest Warning) Syed Zafaryab Haider has claimed last week while talking to the reporters in RYK that now there is no danger of locusts attack as the insects was now migrating to the coastal areas of Balochistan.
According to Haider, these swarms will now travel from South to North after spending 4 months in the desert area (Cholistan).In July the locusts reached some areas of Cholistan in district RYK and also attacked the cotton crop and fodder in its neighbouring villages. The district administration officials had claimed that the locusts were controlled and eliminated through spraying pesticides but now its sudden appearance in RYK areas has proved that its swarms still exist in different areas of Cholistan.
RYK Assistant Commissioner Aitazaz Anjum informed that there is no danger from locusts because it is traveling in the shape of huge swarms to their native destinations. He said that locusts will cross the Arabian sea and reach the desert areas of Gulf and later African deserts. He said that district administration is fully vigilant and in contact with Federal Plant Protection department for any emergency regarding locusts attack.