Manipur: 70 Acres Of Illegal Poppy Fields Destroyed In Ukhrul District

IMPHAL: In a major crackdown against the cultivation of illicit drugs, Manipur Police, the Forest Department, and Assam Rifles conducted a joint operation to destroy nearly 70 acres of poppy fields in Ukhrul district on December 16, 2024.

The joint operation covered three villages—Phalee, Tora, and Champhung—under the jurisdiction of Lungchong Maiphei police station. Besides the destruction of poppy fields, 13 cultivator huts were also destroyed. An FIR has been lodged, and an investigation is on to ascertain the identities of people involved in the nefarious activities.

This is the second such operation within a week where security forces have destroyed 55 acres of poppy fields at Shihai Khullen. Those actions point to the state's seriousness about the issues prevailing in the region against its cultivation of illegal drugs.

According to reports, Manipur has achieved significant progress in eliminating poppy cultivation since 2017, where as many as 12 districts saw destruction of 19,135.6 acres of illegal plantations. Among these, the highest destruction was recorded in Kangpokpi district with 4,454.4 acres, followed by Ukhrul at 3,348 acres and Churachandpur at 2,713.8 acres. All this has been made possible by keeping track of progress using advanced tools like remote sensing and GIS technology.

The state administration of Manipur is showing its very strong stand against drugs by continuously cracking down on poppy cultivation in a larger scheme to check the drug trade and all the social and economic consequences that come along with it.

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