IT’S MAY 27. A few minutes past 11 am. Down To Earth reporters had just arrived in Pachgaon village, Dholpur district, Rajasthan, to enquire about desert locusts that are crossing over to India way ahead of the monsoon rain and invading new areas. As if on cue, a huge swarm, resembling a long rust-colored low cloud, appeared from nowhere. It quickly swelled forward, taking over the sky and nearly obliterating the desert sun. Bewildered, the residents ran out of their homes and gathered in the open. But before they could get a grasp on the situation, millions of locusts started falling like hail and clung to everything that looked green. Within no minutes, the trees and bushes turned into ragged mounds of glistening brown. Some leaned over to touch the ground—tropical grasshoppers weigh about 2-2.5 gram. A few youngsters took photographs as the others stood motionless.
It was for the first time the residents had seen something like this. Soon the severity of the situation dawned on them. Some residents fetched their utensils and started beating and banging them. Ram Babu, a farmworker in his 60s, rushed to his farm to scare away the pests with a piece of cloth. He repeated the exercise for almost an hour in the 46 o Cheat. “I saw on the news yesterday about locust attacks in Jaipur, but did not think they would attack our village too,” he said, trying to call the landowner to inform him about the attack.
The nervous clamour of people did not let the swarm stay in the village for more than 40 minutes. But during that short period, Babu lost almost one-fourth of his pumpkin crop planted on 3.5 bigha (0.3 ha) land. Peepul, babool and keekar (Prosopis juliflora) trees looked queer with almost bare branches and punctured leaves.
This story is from the June 16, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 16, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT
West Bengal's Bhanga Mela (scrap fair) has pushed the limits of recycling. Organised every January at Mathurapur village in 24 South Parganas district, shops at the fair sell discarded electronic items, antiques and even non-functional goods that are in repairable condition.
A wild chase
BASED ON A 2015 PROBE THAT BUST A MAJOR IVORY SMUGGLING RACKET IN INDIA, POACHER PROVIDES A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE WORK OF FOREST OFFICIALS
Suspect claims in Teva's suit against Cipla
The US Federal Trade Commission has warned the Israeli drug firm its patents are wrongful as it sues Cipla aggressively
WATER SCARREDCITY
Bengaluru's water crisis was long in the making. The city has grown at the cost of its lakes and ponds that are key to its water security. Over 93 per cent of the city is built-up, which makes groundwater recharge difficult. Inadequate sewage systems pollute the limited water available. Over the decades, the city has become dependent on the Cauvery, 100 km away, for 70 per cent of its water needs. This makes water unaffordable. It's time Bengaluru broadened its water resource base beyond the Cauvery and focused on recharging groundwater and reusing treated wastewater.
On guard
Communities in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh reduce human-elephant conflicts using technology and proactive on-ground monitoring
Overlooked crisis
While there is much talk about climate migration, the world is without a legal framework to protect people displaced by weather disasters
Taking charge for water
A young sarpanch in Maharashtra helps his village residents avail drinking water at home
International Women's Day Special SHE
In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.
MODERATELY YOURS
The crunchy, slightly sweet tubers of shankhalu can be a healthy addition to one's diet
TROUBLED TEAK
Farmers need to be sensitised about right planting materials and cultivation techniques to benefit from high-value teak plantations