Locust Control -,Experience of managing locust control Operations in SDA and Cold Desert areas.

Locust Control is a community  ,Integrated and global approach with global strategy as developed ,described and specified by FAO.Being a global pest the locust control efforts at global level are coordinated by FAO.Specific approach for specific stage of locust at specific location is required to control locust.Different strategies of locust control  are required to control locust in different locations nd different terrains  are needed to control locust.I have got the experience of managing locust control Operations both in Scheduled Desert Area of Rajasthan Haryana  and Gujarat states along with IndoPak border areas and   Cold desert areas  of kargil and Leh districts of Ladakh region of the then J And K  states I.e.along with Indo China border areas .. Which are having different types of terrains and ecological conditions.Earlier the Scheduled Desert Area was mostly dry area having less humidity but now due the formation of Indira Gandhi Canal now the many areas of the  Scheduled Desert Area have conveted in to cropped area in most of the localities and is now  need to be  redefined but the Cold desert area was found  full of moisture due availability of Glacials   ,Rivers and water  channels and also having pasture lands . 

        During June to August 2006Migratory locust has emerged as a serious pest in Zanskar valley of Distt kargil and Changthang valley of Leh distt.J and K state.Temp of both zanskar religions well as Changthang valley  ranges from 20-30,Cduring August 2006. 

   In Changthang area river Indus and its tributaries were found making conditions most suitable for locust breeding.Most of the area long the River Indus was found sandy and desert in nature called as Cold desert.

   Religious sentiments prevented the locust control Operations on few occassions .pasture ares and area of wild life sanctuary was spared fom spray of insecticides.

   China is not the member of FAO hence no global cooperation with China Govt could be established either by FAO or by Indian Govt.  

      Locust population was also found floating in water flowing in the water channels ,found hidden under the pebbles etc.Due to low temperature the flying of the adults of the migratory locust was started late which give us more time of conducting spraying of insecticides on ground.After flying starts no spraying was possible as there was no provision of aerial spraying in Ladakh region for the control of migratory  locust.

    Similar types of control strategy was adopted in both types of desert areas except in Cold desert area where small equipments like micro ulva and knapsack sorters are used in cold desert area whereas in SDA big control equipments like Micronair AU586 and Ulvamast were used by LWO.

     elocust I and elocust II, RAMSES,(Reconnaossance And Monitoring of Environment of Schistocerca ,),systems were used for locust Surveillance and monitoring  .