Coordinated steps being taken to eradicate locust: Fakhar

Minister for Food Security, Syed Fakhar Imam Wednesday said coordinated steps are being taken at the federal and provincial levels to eradicate locust. Addressing a media briefing, he said locust attack was an international threat and the government was taking all-out steps to eradicate it in coordination with all the stakeholders.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in a recent report has warned of a potentially serious food security crisis this year in several regional countries, including Pakistan, due to locust attacks.

The report, "Desert locust situation in Pakistan" highlights migration pattern of desert locust in South West Asia, its current invasion in various countries, potential impact on Pakistan's agricultural economy as well as the ongoing efforts of Pakistan government to contain the pest and the emerging scenario.

According to the report, 38 per cent of the area (60pc in Balochistan, 25pc in Sindh and 15pc in Punjab) are breeding grounds for the desert locust, whereas the entire country is under the threat of invasion, if the desert locust is not contained in the breeding regions.

Fakhar said locust could be eliminated at deserts and at croplands in different ways. He appreciated the role of the provincial governments as well as the district administrations and the NDMA in stemming the tide of the pest.

Addressing the briefing, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal said the NDMA had completed the survey of 125,000 hectare area of Balochistan, 87,000 hectares of Punjab, 65,000 of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 83,000 hectare of Sindh in the last 24 hours.

He said we have five helicopters for which kits have been procured from the US. He said one plane will leave for Multan today to spray the affected areas. Chairman NDMA said a committee has been setup to purchase six planes that will be used for spraying purposes on a permanent basis.

Afzal said that the NDMA was giving equivalent number of clinical gear to the provinces. He said in excess of 4,200 ventilators and 83 testing laboratories had been made useful. The NDMA executive clarified that there were all out 4,200 ventilators in the country, and 109 of them had been held just for the coronavirus patients.

He likewise said that the relief organization had around 500 ventilators in its stockroom, which were a key save, and would be given over to the areas according to their necessities. The NDMA executive said that the administration was not constraining itself to obtaining ventilators; however, it was likewise preparing its primary care physicians to utilize them.

"We will likewise dispatch a web-based preparing programme for specialists, paramedical staff and bolster clinical staff at region level," he said.

He said despite the fact that there was a lack of ventilators in the worldwide market, still this was not presently an issue in Pakistan.

Lt General Afzal said Pakistan would get 500 to 700 additional ventilators in the coming month though around 40 new compact ventilators had just been received.

He said, "We are totally following health service and the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) warnings."

He stated, "To turn away the approaching locust assault, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is completely ready for auspicious land and airborne spray in the stricken districts."

"In the midst of the measures taken to control the COVID-19, Pakistan has additionally prepared itself to handle the locust assault, which, if not handled appropriately, will jeopardize food security in the nation," he stated.

He said, "Around two planes for spraying, out of which one was imported from Turkey, and five helicopters have been prepared to manage the surge."

The NDMA director further said the authority was working with the Food and Agriculture Organization to configure, screen and actualize control activities.

He said, "We are certain that the country will all in all react in the most ideal way to the current test."

The nation was "generally more ready" to address the difficulty this year, he stated, adding, but the circumstance could deteriorate with enormous multitudes expected to show up in the coming June from Iran and Africa.

Pakistan currently had "a full proof arrangement", including airplane and ground vehicles to splash the bugs, pesticides and prepared groups that can be sent at a short notification, the nation over, he said.