ISLAMABAD:Minister for Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam has said coordinated steps are being taken at federal and provincial levels to eradicate the locusts.
Addressing a media briefing here on Wednesday, he said locust attack is an international threat and government is taking all out steps to eradicate it in coordination with all stakeholders.
He said locust can be eliminated at deserts and at croplands in different ways. He appreciated the role of provincial governments as well as district administration and NDMA in stemming the tide of this pest.
Addressing the briefing, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal said NDMA has completed the survey of 125,000 hectare areas of Balochistan, 87,000 hectares area of Punjab, 65,000 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 83,000 hectare area of Sindh in last 24 hours.
He said we have five helicopters for which kits have been procured from the US. He said one plane will leave for Multan today to spray the affected areas. Chairman NDMA said a committee has been setup to purchase six planes that will be used for spraying purposes on permanent basis.