LOCUST ATTACK [IS INDIA-CHINA DISPUTE?]

    

INTRODUCTION :

      India is facing a major threat due to corona virus, but amidst it there is an another major crisis that has been broke out,it is the LOCUST ATTACK. At the very first moment by hearing a news like locust attack, the people whom were not affected may think it might not be very harmful to the lives.But it is more dangerous and we can even say much more mightier than the deadly Covid19 pandemic,if we are unable to solve it in an ideological way.

LOCUST :

       Generally locusts are a collection of certain species of Grasshoppers with short horns. The locusts are included in the Acrididae family. They are usually solitary(existing alone),but when they became abundant changes their behaviour and habits,becoming so dangerous and wildy.These insects when they are less in number or when existing alone they do not cause economic threat to agriculture.Under certain conditions especially the drought followed by rapid vegetation a hormone named Serotonin in their brains get triggered and it causes certain changes and their breeding became faster than ever and its population become huge. At once their populations became higher,they might changes its behavior as explained above. An average locust swarm may consist of 80 million locusts. 

INTERESTING FACTS :

      The ancient Egyptians craved these insects on their tombs and their details are also being described in The Mahabharata, The Bible and The Quran. These insects especially large insects are being used for research and scientific studies. Another interesting fact about these creature is that they are edible insects and are considered as a delicious food across so many countries. 

VARIOUS TYPES OF LOCUSTS(IMPORTANT) :

      * DESERT LOCUST

      *RED LOCUST

      *MIGRATORY LOCUST

      *AUSTRALIAN PLAGUE LOCUST 

      *ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOCUST 

      *AMERICAN BIRD GRASS HOPPER

      *PATANGA SUCCINCTA

       Among these various kinds of locusts the desert locusts are considered to be very dangerous and it can feed on any kinds of green vegatation.They are mainly found in Africa, Arabia, West Asia and extending into parts of South Asia.

METHOD OF ATTACK

      

  

Generally it is not harmful but when it comes as a swarm they possess a destructive behaviour and its impact can destroy the crops in a pathetic maner. 

SWARMS ENTRY TO INDIA :

     

        

In India the last major attack was in 1962. After that in 1998,2002,2005,2007 and 2010 the locust attack happens but its breeding has been controlled. These swarms are expected to enter India via Pakistan.The recent attack by these insects have been reported in Uttarpradesh, Rajarajan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhyapradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Swarms have recorded 50,000 Hectares in Rajasthan and Madhyapradesh and if it continues as so it may cause a serious agricultural damage. It also attacked 20 districts in Rajasthan. Last year Gujarat and Rajasthan had reported the locusts attack but it is not a severe one.In India it is believed that the swarms are continued to move towards the eastern sides.These movements were associated with westerly winds of cyclone Amphan. 

LOCUTS SWARMS IMPACT IN INDIA :

           Recently India is facing a severe threat due to this locust swarm attack. It is believed that the locust which attacked the Indian subcontinent especially in the northern side are out from Sindh province in Pakistan. They seems to be more powerful, more dangerous apart from that they are more in numbers when compared to recent locust attacks in 2019.In 2019 the locusts entered in India after 26 years are matured but now they are immature and can be more harmful and they also have longer life span.The locusts that entered in India are about 10-12 days old. So that they cause severe damage to crops and fields 

THREAT TO AGRICULTURE : 

        According to Food and Agricultural Organisation(FAO), the destructive power of locust swarm is enormous. The size of the locust swarm can vary from less than one square kilometer to several hundred square kilometers. 

       One square kilometer swarm may contains 40 million locusts and can be able to swallow as much as food as 35,000 people can feed(2.3kg of food per day approximately).These insects are of a vital threat to agriculture that it will start laying eggs after the oneset of monsoon and continues breeding for 2 months. Thus by means the swarms may get increase in number and the crops might have been eaten up

CHINA'S  INVOLVEMENT 

        Apart from these locust attack, some might have suspect China's involvement in this.If there might be a severe loss in agriculture there is a chance of restrictions that occur in foreign investments.There is a chance of China's plan to resist foreign investment in India. Current situation of India's economy depends upon foreign investment,if China succesfully resit it by undescribable plan it's difficult to improvise it.

CONTROL MEASURES :

  

       Usually it might be controlled by means of spraying pesticides. Recently  KAU(Kerala Agricultural University) suggested a pesticide containing Azadirachtin at the rate of 3000 ppm is mixed up with 5-10 litre of water. Also if it start breed in the soil,  use of a bio agent Metarhyzium may rake the soil which can kill the locust eggs. In uttarpradesh villagers has been prevented it by beating Thalis and by cracking crackers.But in some news it is spoted that the people were making locust biriyanis and are eating. 

EDITORS VIEW:

       The control measures might have to be taken in an adequate maner. We might not believed that it is not a fair decision to make Briyani,  because the world is facing a serious pandemic and we were not able to judge about its spreading measures. So even though they are edible it is not a necessary time to make that way possible and also we might ensure other countries involvement in this problem.