Parts of province 5 and 2 of Nepal have been placed on alert after a swarm of locusts invaded some areas. Authorities expect that large swam of locusts can make their entry to Nepal in one or two days.

Earlier, Nepalese authorities ruled out the possibility of entry of locusts in Nepal. The events of Butwal and Rautahat has changed their perceptions. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has already started consultative meetings with various provinces to deal with locusts and directed to take required measures.

Officials in Province 5 and 2 say it is the first time the Butwal and Rautahat have seen a locust invasion.

Footage on social media showed hundred of insects flying over paddy land.

Nepal is witnessing locust invasion in decades. The swarms, which originate in the Horn of Africa, have devoured crops in several states.

On Saturday, chief minister of Province 5 asked district authorities in the south and west of the city to remain on high alert and the provincial government also decided to purcharse locust Rs. 20 per kilogram.

"The swarms moved from west to east. They entered Butwal around 11.30am," officials told media. If not controlled, desert locusts destroy food supplies and can cause famine.

According to the UN, the current infestations can be traced back to the cyclone season of 2018-19 that brought heavy rains to the Arabian Peninsula. That allowed at least three generations of "unprecedented breeding" that went undetected. Swarms have since spread out into East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.