Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot seeks PM''s help to check locust attack in Rajasthan :

1. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help to tackle the locust attack in several districts of Rajasthan.

2. The damage caused to crops can be minimised only if serious efforts are initiated for the control of grasshoppers in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries. Requesting a coordination with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, the CM said Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jalore, Churu, Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts in Rajasthan were under heavy attack of locusts.

3. The state government was already working in coordination with the locusts warning organisation at Jodhpur for the control of insects. Locusts started coming to Rajasthan in great numbers in May this year. Generally, the number and effect of these insects declines by October but this time their attack continued in December.

4. Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, around 3200 hectares have been affected by the swarms. The greenery and moisture due to good rainfall in Rajasthan was what was drawing desert locusts. The affected areas in Rajasthan mainly include Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jalore and Jodhpur.

5. Gujarat is the epicentre of the current crisis, with over 6000 hectares being affected over the last two weeks. The swarms are thought to have entered the state from Rajasthan and Pakistan, and are currently spread across Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Kutch and Sabarkantha districts. Worryingly, the voracious swarms have wreaked havoc on crops like mustard, castor, cumin, fennel, wheat and others, putting the fate of innumerable farmers at risk.

About Locusts :

Locusts are a collection of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious.