Swarms of desert locusts, which invaded India through Pakistan in April, have made their way to at least five Indian states, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Desert locusts move in swarms, and are considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world due to their enormous appetite of eating up crops.
According to eyewitnesses, the swarm which entered India from Pakistan was about two to three kilometres long, reports India Today.
The swarms entered India from Pakistan where they flew in from Iran last year. From Rajasthan, they entered Madhya Pradesh through Neemuch and have advanced to Ujjain and Dewas. The locust swarms have also made their way to Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
In Rajasthan, the locust attack has reached residential colonies of Jaipur. Unable to find crops to feed on, the locusts have started destroying trees.
Villagers hold locusts affected by insecticides near Miyal village in Banaskantha district some 250km from Ahmedabad | AFP This locust invasion is the worst in India since 1993.
The locusts currently attacking crops in India bred and matured in Iran and Balochistan in Pakistan. Another swarm of locusts breeding in the Horn of Africa are likely to reach India by next month.
India has proposed to Pakistan and Iran for a coordinated approach in dealing with the alarming threat of fast-increasing desert locusts in the region.
Pakistan is yet to respond to India's proposal while Iran has communicated its readiness for a joint approach to contain the desert locusts.