Locusts spark panic in Bhavnagar

Rajkot: Swarms of locusts triggered panic among farmers on the outskirts of Bhavnagar city on Saturday.
District administration sources said that the locusts got diverted towards Bhavnagar because of change of wind direction caused by Cyclone Amphan.
According to sources, the locust from Sidsar village entered the outskirt ares like Fulsar, Kumbharvada, Hadanagar and Lal Tanki . Officials said locusts were also seen in villages of Sihore, Umrala and Vallabhipur talukas.
District collector Gaurang Makwana said, “We have alerted people and started spraying chemicals during the night in the affected villages. We believe that the swarms have come from Surendrangar because of change in wind direction due to the cyclone.”
Thousands of locusts were spotted on the the trees of residential societies and roads in Bhavnagar too. In an advisory, the agriculture department of district panchayat said that the locusts seen in the urban areas are just passing from the city and there was no need for people to panic.
The administration is using fire fighters of municipality and knapsack sprayer to spray chemicals.