Officials meet to discuss potential locust attack

ADILABAD/NIZAMABAD: District Collector A Sridevasena organised a coordination meeting with the officials of Forest, Agriculture, Fire, Revenue and Police Departments here on Friday to discuss measures to be adopted to tackle a possible locust attack in the district. Soon after experts opined that the locust swarms, which have been concentrating in Ramtek in Maharashtra, situated just 200 km away from the Telangana border, could travel southwards and enter the State, the government had alerted the administrations of all bordering districts.

As per directions, all districts have begun making arrangements to battle a possible locust attack. During the meeting, the officials concerned identified eight mandals — Gadiguda, Bheempur, Jainath, Bela, Tamsi, Bazarathnoor, Talamadugu and Boath — as highrisk areas, as they share their borders with the neighbouring State. These eight mandals comprise as many as 42 villages in total. Sources said that the authorities are taking all necessary steps to contain the locust attack in these mandals. The administration has already purchased pesticides and arranged tankers for spraying chemicals. Officials have also decided to rope in local residents for effective management, for which the latter would be given special training, if need be.

Mock drills in N’bad

Meanwhile, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Minister for State Roads & Buildings said that the Nizamabad district administration has decided to conduct a mock drill to deal with locust swarms in villages bordering Maharashtra. He said district administration has alerted officials concerned and they are ready to attack the locusts with jet sprays and chemicals.