Amid concerns over the spreading locust menace, the Delhi government has issued an advisory on preventive measures to control probable pest attack in the national capital.

The government has called for organising awareness program for public and farmers to prevent and control attack of desert locusts in the national capital.

The advisory states that the locusts should not be allowed to rest especially during the night as they usually fly in day time and rest during the night.

The concerned authorities have been advised to carry out spraying of pesticides and insecticides like Melathion and Chloropyriphos as required during night, with the help of spraying equipment.

The advisory has been issued in the wake of locust infestation in neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai had earlier in the day called a meeting at his residence in view of the locust menace.

Meanwhile, the Central government has stepped into the fight against the menace of locust as it has become a great threat for farmers in several states before the sowing of kharif crops gathers pace.

Amid a wave of locust swarms sweeping across western and northwestern India, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW) has stepped up locust control operations in the affected states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, said Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Wednesday in a statement.

As on May 26, control operations against locusts have been done in 47,308 hectares of area in total 303 places in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh by LCOs in coordination with the District Administration and State Agriculture Department, said the statement.

As per the agriculture ministry, 89 fire brigades for pesticide spray; 120 survey vehicles; 47 control vehicles with spray equipment and 810 tractor mounted sprayers have been deployed for effective locust control.

The government has also placed an order for buying 60 spraying machines from UK-based company Micron and two firms have been finalised for supply of drones for aerial spraying of insecticides for effective control over tall trees and inaccessible areas.

After destroying crops in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, a large swarm of locusts has now reached Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi district, putting the district administration on alert.

a swarm of desert locusts has entered Maharashtra a well.

Punjab too has been put on high alert for the infestation and control rooms have been set up in each district and farmers have been asked to report any activity of locusts, Punjab Director Agriculture Sawtantar Kumar Airi said.

The Odisha government has also sounded warning and advised farmers to take preventive measures to save crops from the attack of locusts.

A locust swarm had entered India from Pakistan on its western borders at the start of the year.