Published on 23 Feb 2025
Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) pose a significant threat to food security in India, particularly in the country's western states. These highly mobile insects can form massive swarms capable of consuming vast quantities of vegetation in a short period.
Causes of Locust Attacks in India
Erratic Rainfall Patterns: Unpredictable rainfall events, particularly periods of above-average rainfall followed by hot and dry conditions, create ideal breeding grounds for locusts. Increased soil moisture triggers egg laying and hatching, leading to population booms.
Cyclone Activity: The increased frequency and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea can disrupt natural predators of locusts and exacerbate outbreaks. Cyclones can also disperse immature swarms, leading to a wider geographical spread.
High Mobility: Desert locusts are highly mobile insects capable of traveling long distances with the aid of wind currents. Swarms originating in neighbouring Pakistan can readily migrate into western India, particularly Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
Green Shoots: Heavy monsoon rains can trigger abundant green vegetation growth, providing ideal breeding and feeding grounds for locusts.
Ecological Imbalance: Loss of natural habitats due to deforestation and land-use changes disrupts the ecological balance. This can negatively impact natural predators of locusts, such as birds and lizards, allowing locust populations to thrive unchecked.
Impact of Locust Attack in India
Food Insecurity: Locusts devour crops (rice, wheat, pulses) leading to massive yield losses, threatening food supplies and potentially causing price hikes for millions.
Economic Hardship: Farmers suffer financial strain due to lost crops, impacting income and hindering future investment. Additionally, control measures, market disruptions, and potential food shortages create economic burdens.
Environmental Degradation: Large-scale vegetation loss from locust feeding leads to soil erosion and degradation, disrupting ecosystems and impacting wildlife dependent on those plants.
Social Unrest & Displacement: Reduced food availability can trigger food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable populations. In extreme cases, locust attacks can force displacement and social unrest due to livelihood loss.
Psychological Distress: The constant threat of locust attacks creates fear and anxiety among farmers and agricultural communities.
Measures to tackle Locust Attack
Preventive Measures:
Early Warning Systems: Utilize remote sensing and ground surveys to identify locust breeding grounds (like Rajasthan's Thar Desert) and track swarm movement via FAO's Desert Locust Information Service.
Habitat Management: Partner with local communities in affected areas to control unwanted vegetation growth (through controlled grazing or targeted herbicides) in potential breeding grounds.
International Cooperation: Collaborate with neighbouring Pakistan and Iran (affected by locusts) to share data, deploy joint control measures along borders, and prevent cross-border swarm movement.
Traditional Practices:
Bio-pesticides: Promote the use of government-approved bio-pesticides derived from neem, chillies, or desert locust fungus for effective and eco-friendly control of smaller infestations.
Noise Techniques: Train farmers in using traditional instruments (drums, thalis) or modern sound cannons to disrupt locust swarms and deter them from settling on crops.
Physical Barriers: In critical areas, revive traditional methods like digging trenches or erecting nets along predicted swarm movement paths to impede their progress.
Government Initiatives:
Locust Control Units: Establish well-equipped and trained Locust Control Units for rapid response and deployment of control measures.
Financial Assistance: Implement financial assistance programs to compensate affected farmers and support recovery efforts.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch targeted public awareness campaigns in local languages.
Long-Term Solutions:
Sustainable Land Management: Promote practices to reduce desertification (crop rotation, cover cropping, rainwater harvesting).
R&D: Invest in research for new control methods specific to desert locusts (biocontrol agents, locust-specific fungi/bacteria).
Climate-Smart Agriculture: Encourage farmers to adopt practices that increase crop resilience (drought-resistant varieties, water conservation).
Geography
LOCUST ATTACK
Causes of Locust Attacks in India
Impact of Locust Attack in India
Measures to tackle Locust Attack
General Studies Paper 1
Natural Calamities and Disaster Management
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