Amid statements from other government members regarding coronavirus cracking netizens up, it has emerged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Riaz Fatyana thinks eating locusts, an infestation of which is threatening food security in Pakistan among other South Asian nations as well as in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and South America, could end the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is said that eating locusts can lead to the eradication of coronavirus,” reports quoted the senior PTI MNA as saying.
He went on to say that the government should look into the claims and if verified, people themselves would deal with the locust infestation.
LOCUST INFESTATION:
The 2019-20 locust infestation is an outbreak of desert locusts which is the worst in 70 years in Kenya and the worst in 25 years in Pakistan, India, Ethiopia and Somalia.
The outbreak began with heavy rains in 2018 in the Arabian Peninsula in spring 2019, swarms spread from these areas, and by June 2019, the locusts spread north to Pakistan, India, Iran and south to East Africa, particularly the Horn of Africa. By the end of 2019, there were swarms also in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt and Oman.
By June 2020, another swam appeared in South America, affecting Paraguay and Argentina while as of April 2020, efforts to control the locusts were being hampered by ongoing restrictions in travel and shipping due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to reports, around 37 per cent area of Pakistan is more vulnerable to the attack. This includes 60 per cent area of Balochistan, 25 per cent area of Sindh and 15 per cent area of Punjab.
“If the desert locust is not contained, Punjab and Sindh may become summer breeding zone of the pest,” said a report submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) by Punjab government through Additional Advocate General Chaudhry Faisal Hussain earlier this month.
It said desert locust appeared in Punjab’s Cholistan area in July last year. In November last year, locust swarms started migration toward Balochistan and South Punjab.
