The Bihar government is geared up about the possibility of locust attacks in the state. Squads have been set up to deal with the menace and be ready for mass spraying. However, the agriculture department has received information that the first swarm of locusts has changed its course towards Madhya Pradesh.

An official of the agriculture department said that the locusts after reaching Mirzapur had c

locusts
Constraining locust swarms is no simple task.Twitter

MP-Bihar border on alert

Agriculture secretary Dr N Saravanan Kumar has asked the officials of 10 MP-Bihar border districts to be vigilant. Though the locusts might have changed track to MP, officials in Bihar have been put on alert in case the locusts change their course again.

ALSO READ: India must handle locust menace proactively

The Bihar government has advised farmers to be vigilant. Officers have been asked to coordinate with the district administration in arranging vehicles and tractor-mounted sprays by the fire department.

locust attack
The locusts have ruined crops spread over at least 5,00,000 hectares of land in Rajasthan, mostly in western and eastern part of the state.Reuters

Committees to deal with the locusts have been formed from the state to the panchayat level.

Meanwhile, the locust menace has increased the anxiety of farmers, especially mango and litchi growers. According to agriculture scientist Dr Rajesh Kumar the grasshoppers have entered India due to a change in weather conditions. "So far we
have had good rainfall. Since it is still moist in north Bihar, locusts penetrate the damp area rapidly," he added.

(With inputs from IANS)