NLCC declares Punjab, KP locust free

ISLAMABAD, August 17 (APP): The National Locust Control Centre (NLCC) on Monday declared Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa free from locust while green hooper was still present in one district each of Balochistan and Sindh.

According to an NLCC press release, the anti-locust survey and control operations were in progress. During the last 24 hours, about 232,800 hectares area was surveyed, with the control operation carried out on 20 hectares of Lasbella district of Balochistan and 1137 hectares of Tharparkar district of Sindh.

The control operation, the NLCC said, had been completed on 1,113,076 hectares of land across the effected areas in the country during the last six months,.

It said during next 24 hours, swarms migrations were expected from Rajasthan and Gujarat (India) towards Southern and Central Punjab, and Southern Sindh. The expected migration and subsequent settlement from Gujarat and Rajasthan (India) had the probability to reach Mithi or Nagarparkar (Tharparkar), Nara (Khairpur), Salehpat (Sukkur), Khangarh and Dharki (Ghotki).

There was a possibility that the swarms would reach Liaqatpur (Rahim Yar Khan), Ahmadpur East (Bahawalpur), Chishtian (Bahawalnagr) and Pakpattan.But this is just a possibility, the NLCC said.

All the areas, which had received rains and had been affected by the presence of adult locusts in the past, might experience late hatchings as already experienced in Lasbela/Uthal, it added.

The NLCC said that confirmatory re-survey of selected areas in consultation with the Department of Plant protection and Department of Agriculture Extension representatives would be carried out.

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