Plant protection department's 18 aircrafts grounded
Pakistan
PPD aircraft grounded as they were not properly maintained
LAHORE (Web Desk) – A fleet of Plant Protection Department (PPD), a federally administered body, has been grounded since 2021.
According to news reports, ten of the PPD aircraft have been grounded in Karachi while eight others in Lahore.
All the spray work of the department has been suspended. The planes were used for spraying when locusts or other insects attacked crops.
One of the PPD aircraft had collapsed during its flight near Rahim Yar Khan in 2021. After the fatal accident, the rest of the fleet planes were grounded. It is also reported that the planes were grounded because they were not properly maintained.
According to the PPD website, the Aerial wing of DPP is the sole emergency response unit in the region. The primary function of the Aerial Wing is locust control while other functions include aerial crop spraying, aerial seed broadcasting, hygiene spray operation, leaflet dropping for awareness, participation in foreign countries spray missions under bilateral agreements with friendly countries; uranium exploration survey, aerial photography, anti-narcotics operations and participation in artificial rain project. It was established in 1951 with Piper Cubs. Initially, helicopters and Auster aircraft were used on a limited scale for Aerial Pest Control by DPP. Then Beaver aircraft (Canadian single-engine) were introduced. Later on, Fletchers and Cessnas aircraft were added to the fleet.
The Aerial Wing also has the technical manpower and maintenance supporting shops duly approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. This is one of the oldest Aerial Wings in the sub-continent and has played a major role in pest control in Pakistan.
