PHOTOS: Swarms of locusts threaten India's crops
- 1/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
In this photograph taken on May 25, 2020 swarms of locusts are seen atop a residential building in Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. - Authorities on May 25 were combating swarms of desert locusts that have been rampaging across parts of western and central India in the nations worst pest infestation in nearly three decades, an official said. (Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar / AFP) (Photo by VISHAL BHATNAGAR/AFP via Getty Images)VISHAL BHATNAGAR via Getty Images - 2/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
This grab made from Wednesday, May 27, 2020 video provided by KK Productions, shows locusts swarming over city and near by area in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. India is grappling with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of a months long lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day. (KK Production via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESS - 3/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
In this photograph taken on May 25, 2020 a resident tries to fend off swarms of locusts from a mango tree in a residential area of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. - Authorities on May 25 were combating swarms of desert locusts that have been rampaging across parts of western and central India in the nations worst pest infestation in nearly three decades, an official said. (Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar / AFP) (Photo by VISHAL BHATNAGAR/AFP via Getty Images)VISHAL BHATNAGAR via Getty Images Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 4/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
A man hold locust during the swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 5/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 6/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 7/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 8/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the walled city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 9/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the walled city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 10/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the walled city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 11/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the walled city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 12/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the walled city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 13/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 14/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images - 15/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
Swarms of locust attack in the residential areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan, Monday, May 25, 2020. More than half of Rajasthans 33 districts are affected by invasion by these crop-munching insects.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 16/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
JAIPUR, INDIA - MAY 25: A swarm of locusts over the Railway Station on May 25, 2020 in Jaipur, India. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in its latest locust bulletin on May 21 said the insects spring breeding has continued in Iran and southwest Pakistan and that they will be moving to the India-Pakistan border till at least early July. Already 38,308 hectares in 22 out of 33 districts of Rajasthan are under locust attack, according to the state government. They have reached as far as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, after entering from Pakistan in April. (Photo by Himanshu Vyas/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Hindustan Times via Getty Images - 17/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
JAIPUR, INDIA - MAY 25: A swarm of locusts around apartments near the Railway Station on May 25, 2020 in Jaipur, India. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in its latest locust bulletin on May 21 said the insects spring breeding has continued in Iran and southwest Pakistan and that they will be moving to the India-Pakistan border till at least early July. Already 38,308 hectares in 22 out of 33 districts of Rajasthan are under locust attack, according to the state government. They have reached as far as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, after entering from Pakistan in April. (Photo by Himanshu Vyas/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Hindustan Times via Getty Images - 18/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
JAIPUR, INDIA - MAY 25: A swarm of locusts around apartments near the Railway Station on May 25, 2020 in Jaipur, India. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in its latest locust bulletin on May 21 said the insects spring breeding has continued in Iran and southwest Pakistan and that they will be moving to the India-Pakistan border till at least early July. Already 38,308 hectares in 22 out of 33 districts of Rajasthan are under locust attack, according to the state government. They have reached as far as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, after entering from Pakistan in April. (Photo by Himanshu Vyas/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Hindustan Times via Getty Images Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 19/19
Desert locusts swarm India's crops
JAIPUR, INDIA - MAY 25: A swarm of locusts around apartments near the Railway Station on May 25, 2020 in Jaipur, India. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in its latest locust bulletin on May 21 said the insects spring breeding has continued in Iran and southwest Pakistan and that they will be moving to the India-Pakistan border till at least early July. Already 38,308 hectares in 22 out of 33 districts of Rajasthan are under locust attack, according to the state government. They have reached as far as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, after entering from Pakistan in April. (Photo by Himanshu Vyas/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Desert locusts have invaded India’s Rajasthan region, threatening summer crops. Millions of locusts have been descending on the region since April, and have begun entering neighbouring states.
An estimated 50,000 hectares have been engulfed by the locusts so far, a devastating amount of destruction in conjunction with the economic impact of COVID-19 on farming regions. Higher than normal temperatures have helped the locusts breed and spread at a faster rate than normal. This year’s infestation is the worst the country has seen since 1993.
Local authorities have been using vehicle-mounted sprayers, pesticides and drones to combat the threat of the locusts on crops.