Swarms of locusts reach Gurugram, Delhi on alert; Environment Minister Gopal Rai calls emergency meet

The Gurugram administration had issued an advisory to keep windows, doors shut in the event of such an attack and bang utensils to ward off the crop-destroying insect.

Gurugram: The skies over many parts of Gurugram turned dark on Saturday (June 27) as swarms of locusts descended on the town and is reportedly heading to the national capital region. A high alert was issued in adjoining districts of Delhi following the development. 

Various parts of Gurugram, including plush residential complexes, were covered in complete darkness as a swarm of locusts reached the region. The swarm were seen in condominiums such as Beverly Park, Garden Estate and Heritage City as well as buildings in Sikanderpur in the high-rise town bordering Delhi. 

Alarmed at the invasion of the locusts, which settled on trees, rooftops and plants, many residents of Gurugram shared videos from their high-rise perches.

The administration had asked Gurugram residents on Friday evening to keep their windows shut as a precaution and beat utensils to make clanging noises to ward off the insects.

The dark cloud of locusts spread across two kilometres crossed the suburban city, touched the Delhi-Gurugram border, but is yet to enter the capital city. 

In the meantime, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation following locust attack in Gurugram

According to District Magistrate southwest Delhi, farmers of 70 villages were trained to deal with the swarm attack some 10 days ago. This training was imparted to farmers with the help of Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

The farmers were trained on how to protect their crop from the locust swarm.

In May, India battled a devastating desert locust outbreak. The crop-destroying swarms first attacked Rajasthan and then spread to Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.