As India continues its battle with the coronavirus pandemic a new kind of invasion is threatening to destroy vital crops and vegetation — the worst locust swarm the country has seen in almost 30 years.
Waves of desert locusts -- millions strong and stretching up to 7 kilometers long -- crossed into India's western state of Rajasthan from neighboring Pakistan in early May and swarms have since pushed into five different states in search of food. The desert locust is the most destructive of all locust species because of its speed and ability to multiply rapidly, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Rajasthan, which was the first to be impacted by the locusts, has been conducting daily operations since May 22. "The locusts were sitting in an area that was 7 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. We started the control operations around 1 a.m. along with the Locust Organization team," said B R Karwa, a deputy director of Rajasthan's Agriculture Department.Karwa added that 11 swarms initially entered the state and three followed the winds onwards toward Madhya Pradesh.
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