Bhubaneswar: As Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked officials to keep vigil on the locust movement at least for the next 10 days, Odisha Fire Services has pulled up its sleeves and started mock drill at various stations across the State to tackle the menace.
Fire Service IG Asit Panigrahi today informed that fire tenders are to be used for spraying prescribed chemical on large trees and fields to control the locusts in mid-flight.
All the fire stations in the State have been put on high alert and there are adequate fire tenders. If any district is need of more fire tenders, it willl be mobilised from neighbouring districts. The total procees will be monitored from the State Control Room.
Panigrahi, while briefing about the review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister yesterday, informed that as the locusts are likely to enter through Chhattisgarh, all the districts in Odisha have been divided into three categories – High Risk Zone, Medium Risk Zone and Low Risk Zone.
Districts of Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Bargarh and Jharsuguda fall under the High Risk Zone; districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh and Kandhamal fall under the Medium Risk Zone and remaining districts under Low Risk Zone.
As per the instruction of the State Government, a district-level committee is being formed in every district under the chairmanship of the Collector. The committee consists of District Agriculture Officer, Fire Officer, CDMO and other officials. They are to prepare an action plan to tackle the locusts menace in their respective districts.
