ISLAMABAD: The British government on Monday delivered 40 crop sprayers to Pakistan to help tackle the locust outbreak.

The sprayers manufactured by British company Micron Group have been transported to Islamabad by the Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF).

These sprayers are part of a larger order made directly by the National Disaster Manage­ment Authority (NDMA), under­lining the close UK-Pakistan trading relationship.

Earlier, Britain had sent 20 sprayers to Pakistan under the one million pound UK aid package.

NLCC concerned at presence of locusts in India’s Rajasthan, Gujarat areas

Acting British High Commi­ssioner Alison Blackburne said in a statement on the occasion that the delivery of 40 crop sprayers was a great example of UK-Pakistan cooperation.

The latest delivery has meant that now Pakistan has 40 more locust sprayers from Britain to help tackle the locusts.

“The UK stands as a close friend with Pakistan to help use the best of British technology to bring the situation under control and ensure the locusts do not ravage more crops,” he said.

The sprayers were delivered from RAF Brize Norton, a military airbase in the UK. The flight will also deliver essential supplies for the UK Defence Section to continue to deliver critical Counter-IED Capacity Building to Pakistan in a long-running project which has saved numerous lives over the past five years.

Meanwhile, the National Locusts Control Centre (NLCC) expressed deep concern over the presence of desert locusts in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, stating that hoppers of first generation in third and fourth instar are present in enormous number in these states. If locust migrate from Rajasthan, the subsequent settlement can be expected at Nara (Khairpur), Khipro (Sanghar), Umerkot, Nagarparkar (Tharparkar), Bahawalpur, Yazman and Chishtian (Bahawalnagar).

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2020