The central government has set up 11 control rooms to coordinate the response (File)
Gurgaon residents must keep their windows shut as precaution against a possible attack from crop-destroying desert locusts, the city administration said on Friday as a swarm was sighted at an adjoining Haryana district. The administration has asked them to make clanging noise by beating utensils to ward the insects off.
"A swarm of locusts has reached Mahendragarh district and is expected to reach Rewari border. Under the circumstances, Gurugram administration has issued an advisory that people must keep their windows shut and make noise by clanging tin boxes, utensils and dhol so that locusts can't settle at a place," the administration said.
"Farmers must also keep their pumps (for insecticide spray) ready so that they can be used when needed," it added.
The administration has asked employees of agriculture department to spread awareness on locusts in villages.
Massive swarms of desert locusts have been destroying crops in many parts of western and central India, spearing into Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab now, after Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
The central government has set up 11 control rooms to coordinate the response.
Last month, Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora had directed the Agriculture department and district administrations to take all necessary precautions in advance to tackle any potential attack of locust swarms in the state.
Locusts form swarms in Africa and fly from Iran, Pakistan to India. They are known to have an enormous appetite. They eat plants and can wreck massive damage to crops in days if left unchecked.