Adhikhola Rural Municipality to pay Rs 300 for one kg locusts

POKHARA, JULY 1

Syangja’s Adhikhola Rural Municipality has offered to pay 300 rupees for a kilogram of locusts, dead or alive.

According to the rural municipality’s acting Chief Administrative Officer Geduram Dhakal, anyone who brings locusts dead or alive, will get Rs 300 for a kilogram of the pest from the municipality.

The decision was taken after locusts were seen in wards 1 and 4.

“The offer to pay people in return for locusts is for controlling the pest and minimising damage,” said Dhakal.

Locusts have also been seen in Ward 3 of Arjun Chaupari, Ward 5 of Putalibazaar and Galyang Municipality in the district.

Kaligandaki Rural Municipality has offered to pay farmers 100 rupees per kilogram of locusts.

Locusts seen in Rupandehi and Palpa, earlier, were seen in Syangja’s Kaligandaki Rural Municipality on Sunday and Monday. But as the farmers were cautious, crops here have been saved.

“We had chased the pests away by beating plates and using smoke. We did the same and chased them away the second time as well,” said local Krishna Lamichhane of Kaligandaki, adding that pests were seen in Khorbir, Phugha, Chhapdanda, Bastari and other places.

“As we knew that swarms of locusts were heading to our place from Palpa, we were on high alert and saved our crops,” said Kaligandaki Rural Municipality Chair Khim Bahadur Thapa Magar.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 2, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

Tagged: Adhikhola Rural Municipality 1, Chief Administrative Officer 1, locust catching 1, locust trapping 1, locusts 8, locusts killing 1, Syangja 2