Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said the government will undertake every possible effort for locust control.
While chairing a meeting of National Action Plan for locust control at National Locust Control Center, the premier emphasised that a coordinated national response of federal and provincial governments is required to cope with the expected locust swarm.
The PM also highly appreciated timely and coordinated response of federal and provincial governments, including Pakistan Army, for effectively controlling locust attack and use of indigenously developed equipment.
PM Khan accorded in-principle approval for Phase-II of the National Action Plan for Locust Control. It was also decided that the affected farmers would also be compensated through this package.
Earlier, officials warned that the next few weeks could be crucial in the fight against desert locust infestation with major swarms expected to be reaching here later this month from the Horn of Africa.
Pakistan is on the locust migratory route and has both summer and spring breeding areas.
Therefore, it is particularly prone to locust attacks and has over the years suffered several outbreaks. The latest episode here began in June last year following the start of climate change-induced international locust crisis in 2018 from the southern Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter bordering Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
