Locust attack: A joint fight by India and Pakistan, over the years

Despite the ups and downs in the India-Pakistan bilateral relationship, cooperation on the locust warning system has survived the wars, terrorist attacks, and political turmoil.

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In 1993, as swarms of locusts started coming into Jaisalmer, Anil Sharma, a locust warning officer, was asked by a senior official, “How locust can come to India when we have fencing on the (India-Pakistan) border?” Sharma politely replied that locust is an insect and knows no barriers.

As another locust swarm comes from Pakistan, the spotlight is again on the India-Pakistan dynamic that has come into play. The Ministry of External Affairs says it has reached out to Pakistan for cooperation, and is awaiting their response. Despite the ups and downs in the bilateral relationship, cooperation on the locust warning system has survived the wars, terrorist attacks, and political turmoil.