Amid the deadly locust infestation, Pakistan has sought help from India to fight the locust attack. Everyone is well aware of the fact that Pakistan is facing the worst locust infestation in more than two decades.
The desert locusts have migrated from Iran to Pakistan in June and have already ravaged cotton, wheat, maize, and other crops. These insects are destroying crops in Pakistan on a large scale as they got favorable weather conditions there. Moreover, the Pakistan government did not take immediate action on the locust attack which has resulted in huge losses.
However, Pakistan has declared a National emergency to curb the ongoing situation in Pakistan. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Prime Minister Imran Khan. It came to be known that food sources for people and their livestock are at risk
Pakistan’s government has come under threat after the dangerous locusts entered Pakistan that have devastated crops on a large scale. The locust swarms have caused widespread damage to crops. The locust attacks have pushed farmers into distress in Pakistan as crops in large tracts of farmland have been damaged and what is worse is that their farmland too have been affected.
National Food Security Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar said, “Action has been taken against the insect over 0.3 million acres (121,400 hectares) and aerial spray was done on 20,000 hectares”. “District administrations, voluntary organizations, aviation division and armed forces are put into operation to combat the attack and save the crops,” he also said.
The Pakistan government has remained ignorant of the locust attack that triggered tensions among farmers. Now, Pakistan has requested India for help and may import insecticides from India to kill the locust swarms. Ever since India abrogated Article 370 on August 5, the trade relationship between India and Pakistan has declined.
China, on the other hand, is already fighting against the deadly coronavirus outbreak. In such a situation, Pakistan may import insecticides from India to deal with the threat. An atmosphere of fear has created in Pakistan after the locust swarms have damaged crops on a large scale, putting farmers in trouble. This is the reason why Pakistan is seeking help from India. If Pakistan does not act now, they may risk a severe food crisis in the future.
