59,181.2 hactares area in 15 affected districts of KP cleared from locusts.

PESHAWAR -- The anti-locusts operations have sucessfully continued in Khyber Pakthunkhwa where over 59,181.2 hactare infested area in its 15 districts were cleared from the flying insects.

According to PDMA KP report, locusts' attacks had been restricted to five districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and 59,181.2 hectares infested area in 15 districts were cleared since June 21 owing to the government's successful clearance operations against the swarms.

The locusts swarms entered Pakistan from Afghanistan through Waziristan-D I Khan corridor in start of this year and engulfed 15 KP districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Kohat, Kurrum, Hangu, Nowshera, Orakzai, Peshawar, Khyber and Bajaur.

It forced the government to launch targeted operations against locust swarms to contain its movement following reports of substantial losses to agriculture crops including wheat, cotton, fruits, vegetables and young plantations in these districts.

Presently, operations were being conducted in five infested districts of Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Karak and Kohat .

The districts so far cleared from locusts' swarms include South Waziristan where 3,017 hectares area were operated out of surveyed area on 353,185 hectares, 5,045 hectares sprayed in North Waziristan where 461,900 hectares surveyed, 73 hectares operated out of 254,830 hectares surveyed in Bannu and 308,000 hectares surveyed out of which 1,500 hectares area were sprayed in Kurram.

Hangu, Nowshera and Orakzai districts were declared locusts free where 15 hectares area was sprayed out of total surveyed area of 125,931hactares, 524 hectares operated out of 438,735 hectares surveyed and 3483 hectares sprayed out of 354,920 hectares surveyed respectively.

Locusts were also eradicated in Peshawar, Khyber and Bajaur districts where 12.2 hectares area operated after 316,625hactares surveyed area, 3,050 hectares sprayed after survey on 424,452 hectares and 60 hectares operated following 204,800 hectares area surveyed respectively.

The PDMA report revealed that 4,898,670 hectares area had been surveyed with assistance of 37 teams out of which 59,181.2 hectares area was successfully operated with the help of 43 teams in these 15 affected districts.

Targeted operations were conducted on the basis of detailed surveys started since March 9 last in these five infested districts where 42, 293 hectares area had been cleared till June 21, the...