Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Narcotics Bureau Destroys 1,032 Hectares of Illicit Cannabis Cultivation in Himachal Pradesh

September 21, 2022
Hemp Waste_Narcotics
Photo: Wiki Commons

In one of the biggest destruction operations conducted over two weeks in Himachal Pradesh, officers of Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed 1,032 hectares (12,900 bighas) of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation.

On receiving specific intelligence about illicit cannabis cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, teams of officers of CBN were formed and dispatched. Officers of CBN verified the intelligence and further carried out physical surveys resulting in detection of more areas of illicit cultivation. Subsequently, destruction operation was started with support of District Administration, Forest Department and the Police.

During this operation, two-pronged approach of creating awareness among villagers along with enforcement was adopted by officers of CBN. Community mobilisation was adopted by sensitising villagers about adverse effects of drugs on body and mind. Threats that drugs tend to pose to the future of youth and children were explained. Relevant penal provisions of NDPS act were also explained to Village Pradhans and members, consequent to which resolutions were passed by villagers to destroy illicit cannabis plantations around the villages. Villagers assisted officers of CBN to destroy illicit cultivation by actively taking part in exercise under supervision of CBN officers.

Community mobilisation was adopted by sensitising villagers about adverse effects of drugs on body and mind. Threats that drugs tend to pose to the future of youth and children were explained. Relevant penal provisions of NDPS act were also explained to Village Pradhans and members, consequent to which resolutions were passed by villagers to destroy illicit cannabis plantations around the villages. Villagers assisted officers of CBN to destroy illicit cultivation by actively taking part in exercise under supervision of CBN officers.

The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) is the Apex Drug Law Enforcement Agency under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India tasked with identification and destruction of illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium along with its other responsibilities.

CBN has conducted destruction operation in many states like West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand etc., resulting in destruction of more than 25,000 hectares of illicit cultivation of opium and cannabis over the years. CBN had also destroyed approximately 3,600 hectares of illicit opium in Arunachal Pradesh in the month of February and March this year. CBN intends to continue such destruction operations of illicit cultivation across India in future as well.