As massive swarms of locusts destroy crops in western and central India, including the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, several Mumbaikars on Thursday, 28 May, posted images and videos of a locust attack in Mumbai.
“The locusts have landed! Welcome to Mumbai, locustji. Feel free to mingle with our political pests... (sic),” tweeted journalist Shobhaa De.
Many other residents from different parts of the ciy tweeted similar images urging people to stay indoors.
An archived link of the tweet can be accessed here.
‘Images Circulated on Social Media Not From Mumbai’: BMC
The Quint reached out to BMC officials who refuted the claims and said that the locust swarms have not reached Mumbai.
The officials added that the images being circulated are not from Mumbai and strict action will be taken against those spreading the rumours.
Locust Swarms Enter Maharashtra
However, it must be noted here that locust swarms have indeed reached parts of Maharashtra, according to some reports.
“A swarm of desert locusts has also entered the eastern part of Maharashtra, with at least four to five villages in the Vidarbha region coming under attack,” news agency PTI reported.
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