Gurugram, Parts Of Delhi Swarmed Capital On High Alert To Fight Locust Terror

Swarms may fly through Delhi even today, warns govt Pilots asked to be cautious as insects seen near IGIA too All DMs to work with fire dept for spraying pesticides People to keep windows & doors shut and cover plants

- Gulam Jeelani and Ajay Kumar

Officials scrambled to mount an unprecedented anti-locust operation on Saturday night, as swarms stormed into parts of the National Capital after invading Gurugram on Saturday.

The AAP government put Delhi on high alert and asked all 11 District Magistrates (DMs) to work closely with fire department personnel for spraying pesticides and insecticides in all hotspots.

This was after Environment Minister Gopal Rai chaired an emergency meeting amid reports of locusts reaching South Delhi’s Asola Bhatti area.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely. The wind is towards South Delhi, their route can change,” Rai said.

Earlier in the day, huge swarms of these pests covered large tracts of Gurugram. Alarmed at the invasion by locusts, which settled on trees, rooftops and plants, residents of plush residential complexes, and high-rise buildings shared images and videos of the attacks.

FIRST UPSCALE AREA TO BE HIT

Gurugram is the first upscale urban area that has come under a locust attack after swarms flooded crops in villages of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other North Indian states.

Gurugram DM Amit Khatri said that the overall swarm was 8 km long and 5 km wide. Locusts moved towards Faridabad and were later seen in parts of South Delhi, including some farmhouses of Chhatarpur which prompted authorities in Delhi to issue a high alert.