Punjab claims to wipe out locust in two villages

The Punjab government here on Monday claimed to have wiped out locust from two villages in the Fazilka district along the Indo-Pak border.

The nearly 12-hour operation was conducted in Roopnagar and Bareka villages under the supervision of the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner on directions from Financial Commissioner Development Viswajeet Khanna.

Acting on Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's orders, Khanna asked Agriculture Secretary K.S. Pannu to chalk out a strategy to combat the locust attack in the two villages, according to an official spokesperson.

Khanna also asked the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner to personally supervise the operation. Later, the Deputy Commissioner held a meeting to review the plans with district officials.

Sufficient quantity of insecticide was provided and boomer sprayers, tractor-mounted high velocity sprayers and fire brigade vehicles were used in the operation.

The Chief Minister has also taken up the locust attack issue in south Punjab areas, bordering Rajasthan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He has urged the Prime Minister to ask the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to raise the issue with Pakistan from where locust swarms were entering India.IANS