Poppy plantation destroyed in Tirap district

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, Feb 22: Tirap district administration and Guwahati zol unit of rcotics Control Bureau along with district police, army and para military forces destroyed 191 acres of illegal poppy (opium) plantations in Lazu circle of the district recently. The poppy plantations were spread in Lazu, Sanliam, Pongkong, Sinnu, Lonyan, Noglo, Lower Chinhan, Upper Chinhan (Horu Chinhan) villages.

The destruction of plantations were carried out by separate teams constituted by Tirap Deputy Commissioner Ravi Jha from February 14 to 18 last, an official report informed here today. Prior to carrying out the drive, the DC briefed the teams that destroying illicit poppy cultivation was very important to make the drugs growers chooses altertive crop cultivation.

Informing that poppy cultivation is prohibited under section 8(b) of the NDPS Act, 1985, the DC urged the people of Lazu to go for altertive cash crops like large cardamom, large ginger and large chilly for which departments of agriculture and horticulture have been extending support through various schemes. The silver line was that a few people have started cardamom cultivation in some pockets of Lazu circle which was witnessed during the operation, the team members informed the deputy commissioner. However, most of the people are still dependant on poppy plantation for their livelihood. Some people have approached the teams for compensation against the destroyed plants, they said.