12 centres set up across Thar to buy live or dead locusts.

MITHI -- Twelve centres have been set up in Tharparkar and Umerkot districts where live or dead locusts will be purchased from area people at a rate of Rs15 per kilo in a bid to encourage elimination of the deadly insect, says director general of Agriculture and Research Council Sindh, Dr Ataullah Khan.

He informed a meeting chaired by Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nawaz Soho at Darbar Hall on Monday that presence of locusts in Nagarparkar and Dahli talukas posed a serious threat. Modern and powerful spray machines had been installed in both the talukas to eradicate the insects, he said.

He said that they had already set up 12 centres, 10 in Tharparkar and two in Umerkot where live or dead locusts would be purchased from the area people at Rs15 a kilo. 'Ten NGOs have also been hired which will provide assistance to the district administration and agriculture department in the eradication of the scourge,' he said.

He said that more centres would be set up in Chhachhro, Mithi, Dahli and Islamkot talukas and the process of purchasing of locusts would commence from July 1.

DC Soho told the meeting that...