Destroys poppy plants on over 476 acres
Poppy plants on over 476 acres of fields were destroyed as authorities intensified drives against illegal poppy cultivation in Manipur.
As many as 56 huts found at the sites where the poppy grows were also burnt down during the five days extensive poppy destruction drives, from November 11 to 15, in the hills of Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts, officials said on Sunday.
The most extensive poppy destruction occurred in Ukhrul district, where poppy plants on over 436 acres were destroyed in a five-day long operation.
The police, in its daily law and order update issued late on Saturday, said that extensive poppy cultivation was discovered during an operation against the illegal poppy cultivation carried out from November 11 to 15 across Ukhrul district.
The poppy cultivation fields were discovered at the hill ranges of Somdal, Lamlai Chingfei village and Litan during an extensive drive against the illegal practice by the security forces in collaboration with other government agencies.
Poppy plants on over 436 acres of fields were destroyed and 51 huts found at the sites were burnt down, the police said.
Poppy plants on over 40 acres of fields were also destroyed in two separate operations in Kangpokpi district on November 15, the police said.
It said that a joint team of Manipur police, Assam Rifles, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) destroyed poppy plants on approximately 20 acres of fields at Loibol Khullen village under Kangpokpi police station of the district.
Two sacks of salt packets found at the plantation site were seized. Spray pumps, pipes, herbicides etc used in cultivation were destroyed and burnt, it added.
In another operation on the same day (November 15), Manipur police along with CRPF and forest officials carried out poppy destruction in the hill ranges of Kotlen village of the same Kangpokpi district and destroyed about 20 acres (approximately) of poppy plantation.
Five huts were burnt down in the process that also destroyed three bags of fertilizers, two roundup herbicides, and two bags of salt.
The restive Manipur resumed the drive against illegal poppy cultivation in the first week of current month with the destruction of poppy plants cultivated in around five acres in Songlung village and its adjacent area of Lhangjol and Waphong villages under Kangchup police station in Kangpokpi district on November 8 last.
Since the resumption of the drive, so far poppy plants on over 689 acres of fields across Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts including the recent one have been destroyed while destroying huts and other items used in the illegal practice.
Under the ongoing “War on Drugs” campaign launched by the Manipur government, an extensive drive against illegal poppy cultivation, involving joint operations by police, paramilitary forces, forest department, and district administration were conducted for the last around 10 years.
Destruction drives are carried out regularly across various hill districts, including Kangpokpi, Senapati, Ukhrul and Kamjong.
Operations often involve large teams, sometimes over a hundred personnel, using methods such as grass cutters, sticks and herbicides to destroy the illicit crops.
In recent years, the authorities intensified its campaign by employing drone surveillance and remote sensing/GIS technology to identify and map poppy fields, particularly in remote forest areas.
Official reports indicated a substantial reduction in the area under poppy cultivation, from approximately 28,599 acres in 2021-22 to 11,288 acres in 2023-24.