The scale of the locust outbreak in the western provinces of Uzbekistan is fully under the control of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) and the Agency for Plant Quarantine and Protection, and there is no cause for public alarm. The MES issued this reassuring statement following the spread of social media reports detailing a massive locust swarm. Videos circulating from Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, and Bukhara provinces showed vehicles, buildings, and other public structures completely swarmed by the insects.
"This phenomenon is part of a seasonal locust migration observed every year. It is strictly localized and has caused no damage to agricultural crops in these regions," the statement read.
The MES added that every year, during both the pre-season and active seasons, emergency services and other relevant agencies conduct extensive preventive measures to contain the spread of locusts. The ministry also published photographs documenting these ongoing extermination and treatment efforts.
Earlier in late March, reports indicated that a destructive strain of locusts had hatched in Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Samarkand, and Jizzakh provinces. Authorities had planned to chemically treat approximately 651.8 thousand hectares of land to mitigate the risk.
Public can report sightings of destructive locust swarms by calling the official hotlines at 1288 or 71-202-10-00.
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