(File photo)
NEW DELHI India has controlled the spread of desert locusts, migratory pests that threaten crops, through the use of advanced technologies, including drones, and has ensured that there is not much damage to crops, Prime Minister Narendra said on Saturday. Modi.
In his speech after the virtual inauguration of the university and administrative buildings of the Jhansi-based Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, the prime minister highlighted the need to promote greater use of the latest technologies in the agricultural sector.
More than 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, faced a locust problem amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding that the Bundelkhand region faced locust attack after 30 years.
Sharing how modern technologies are useful in addressing the challenges facing the agricultural sector, Modi said that the speed at which locust swarms were spreading in the country was not possible to control in a traditional way.
“In May, the Bundelkhand region faced the locust problem … I was told that the region faced the locust attack after 30 years. Not only Uttar Pradesh, more than 10 states faced the locust problem “said the prime minister.
India has controlled this problem scientifically, he said.
“If there were no coronavirus, there would have been a week-long positive media debate on this. It has been a great success,” he added.
Claiming that the central government worked “on the warpath” to save crops from this pest, Modi said that a dozen control rooms, including one in Jhansi, were installed and that the authorities acquired special spray machines and distributed them in affected areas.
“Be it tractors or chemicals, all machinery was installed to ensure that farmers suffer less damage to crops. To save tall trees, drones and helicopters were used to spray. With these measures, India has been able to prevent farmers from suffer huge losses, “he said.
Emphasizing the importance of modern agricultural technologies, the prime minister urged young agricultural researchers and scientists to work on ‘One Life, One Mission’ to promote technologies such as drones or artificial intelligence across the country.
For the past six years, the government has been making efforts to bring agricultural research directly to the fields and make scientific advice available even to small farmers, he said.
“From the university campus to the field, there is a need to further strengthen the ecosystem for experts. For which, the Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University will also play an important role,” he added.
India faced the threat of the locust problem in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Bihar.
However, the problem has now been largely brought under control after both the Center and state governments took timely action on approximately 5.66 lakh hectares in the affected states, according to official data.
Even the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had said in its August 24 update that the risk of swarm migration to Indo-Pakistan’s summer breeding ground has all but diminished.
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