LARKANA: Flocks of locusts were seen hovering over Larkana city while huge swarms were continuing to devour standing crops of vegetables in Pakho town of Qambar-Shahdadkot district and its surroundings on Saturday and Sunday.

Flying away to their next destination, they were seen landing on the parks of Govt Pilot Higher Secondary School, a bungalow of former Sindh chief minister Mohammed Ayoub Khuhro and parts of Lahori mohalla and other localities. They also landed in Jinnahbagh and devoured green patches before crossing the city into the suburbs.

Locusts’ attack was also noticed in Nazar mohalla of Larkana. This is the second time the swarms of locusts were noticed flying by choosing the same route that it had taken last year, a gardener said.

Flocks of locusts had caused damage to mango trees as well as standing crops. People connected with agriculture called for urgent measures to control the swarms fearing more damage to their crops in the days to come.

Reports from Qambar, Mirokhan, Shahdadkot, Qubo Saeed Khan and other towns also suggested widespread destruction being caused by locusts.

Growers and other people in Shikarpur on Sunday noticed swarms of locusts entering the city areas after playing havoc with crops and green patches in the district’s rural areas, our Shikarpur correspondent adds.

A state of panic and fear prevailed among the farming community of the district as they found themselves helpless in pushing away the swarms comprising millions of the pest.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2020