TLDR: Last week, massive swarms of locusts entered Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. Indian farmers now face the prospect of losing their recently sowed kharif or winter crops to this new calamity—adding to the already dire situation created by the pandemic. PS: Even Delhi is directly in harm’s way.
Er, what are locusts?
They are short-horned grasshoppers that feed on all kinds of flora, including leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and green shoots. This particular variety is a desert locust—considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world.
Here’s what’s interesting. Locusts are typically loners. They only become “gregarious”—i.e.form swarms—when the environmental conditions are warmer or wetter than usual. Vast numbers of young locusts find themselves crowded together, and start behaving in unison—moving across continents and oceans in search of food. And thanks to climate change, swarms have become more common. The warming oceans trigger cyclones which in turn create warm and wet conditions that are ideal for breeding.
Where are these locusts coming from?
These swarms actually originate in the Arabian Peninsula in a bit called the ‘Empty Quarter’. Starting in 2018, the usually arid area received unusual amounts of rainfall due to two big cyclones, making it nicely warm and wet. Voila!
The locusts first moved to the Horn of Africa—where they have already devastated tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. They have since spread across the Red Sea into Pakistan, and now into India. And they were helped all the way by heavy and prolonged rain in various parts of the world—triggered again by climate change.
Where are they in India?
Swarms of locusts swarmed across Jaipur on Monday, and have since spread as far as Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat and Punjab are on high alert. And experts warn that shifting wind patterns may bring them to Delhi by May 28.
Point to note: this isn't a new problem. India has been battling the locusts since late last year. As of February, the insects had destroyed 3.5 lakh hectares in Rajasthan and Gujarat. But officials thought they had successfully repelled the plague using pesticides, drones and sprayers. Also used: DJs and drums. But now fresh swarms are pouring over the border.
How bad can this be?
A one square kilometre swarm contains about 40 million locusts. A swarm can fly up to 150 km (90 miles) a day with the wind, and adult insects can consume roughly their own weight in fresh food per day. A swarm can eat as much food as 35,000 people in just one day. They also destroy crops by their sheer weight as they descend on them in massive numbers.
And the locust attack in Jaipur looked kinda like this (h/t @srinivasaiims). Or check out alarming photos here and here:
The bottomline: The Old Testament describes a plague of locusts as so:
“Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”
The good news is this: we have far more technology and pesticides than the Egyptians. And a well-coordinated effort—at home and across nations—can and will stem this pestilent tide.
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