KBP for aerial spray.

LAHORE -- As the government is waiting for the locust swarms to reach deserts areas of Cholistan 'to ambush' the pests there, the Kissan Board Pakistan has demanded immediate aerial sprays to annihilate the flying bugs.

The Punjab agriculture department says its teams are monitoring migration of locust in Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Athara Hazari, Khanewal, Mian Channu, Burewala, and Khairpur Tamewali as the insect is travelling towards Cholistan, where department's special teams are waiting with Micron and aircraft to eradicate their swarms through sprays.

Agriculture Secretary Wasif Khurshid says his department's teams remained on duty even during Eid holidays as they had completed surveillance of 9.1 million acres and sprayed at least 48,000 litres of pesticides at 0.3m acres of land.

He says the required machinery for effective spray has been provided in the field where 3,000 workers are taking part in the exercise.

However, the farming community refutes these claims saying the...