Haryana has been put on high alert as swarms of locusts, after settling in Rewari district, moved towards Gurugram and Faridabad on Saturday morning and are currently headed for agri districts of Palwal and Nuh. Residents in posh areas of Gurugram like MG Road and Golf Course Road were left shocked as the sky suddenly turned dark and the swarm invaded residential societies settling on trees, roof-tops and balconies.
Alarm sirens were sounded in the entire city and many affected societies like Heritage City and Garden Estate went on to deploy big music systems to shoo them away. Heading towards Delhi, the swarm just touched the border and went towards Faridabad where it is currently settled.
The farmers in Palwal and Nuh, with the help of agriculture department officials, have reached the fields taking necessary precautions and deploying spray pumps. It may be noted that the administrations of Mahendragarh and Rewari had been on their toes since last evening working with the farmers trying to drive away the huge swarm that settled in Khol block villages in Rewari.
The swarm entered Jhajjar district Saturday morning, but the villagers went on to make public announcements using 'dhols' and defending their fields in groups banging utensils and 'thalis'. The swarm then entered Gurugram through Chandu village and left the city terrified.
Meanwhile, Haryana agriculture minister J.P. Dalal has reached Rewari and directed 'patwaris' to assess crop losses. “The state was already on high alert and the agriculture department was ready with spray pumps. They worked the whole of last night killing 35 per cent of the locusts. There is a report of crop loss in some villages. This is being assessed and farmers will be duly compensated”, Dalal told THE WEEK.
