SOCIETY: WHEN THE LOCUSTS ATTACK
This year’s monsoon showers initially brought with them a feeling of jubilation to Umerkot and Thar. Locals rejoiced the breaking of the three-year-long dry spell in the region and immediately got to work, farming from dawn to dusk. In the recent past, the drought had forced some locals to leave their homes and migrate to other areas. Now it finally felt like the Thari’s troubles were behind them. They took a sigh of relief, expecting a decent crop yield. Little did they know that nature had other plans.
As the rains came to an end, millions of locusts swarmed the fields of food crops and fodder. Along with leaves, grasses and shrubs, the pests destroyed crops that the Tharis would have cashed in on for food supplies as well as for business.
For the past few weeks, the areas of Chachro, Dahli, Nagarparkar and other parts of Thar district lie infested by yellow locusts, causing farmers to lose sleep.
Swarms of locusts in the Thar region are threatening Tharis’ livelihood and livestock
Sixty-year-old Girdhari, who belongs to Bhadari, a village situated some 25 kilometres away from Chachro taluka, has been arriving in his farm early every day. A dozen of his family members, including women and children accompany him. They drum bins and light bonfires to create smoke and scare the locusts away. But just as one swarm flies away, another appears.
Girdhari’s three grand-daughters also try to drive away the locusts. They put stones inside bottles and shake them vigorously, creating a noise as they move through the cultivated fields. While the young ones seem to be enjoying the process, Girdhari does not share their excitement. “There seems to be no end to this menace,” he tells Eos.