Crackdown on Illegal Poppy Cultivation in Manipur

The Manipur Police and forest department have eradicated 55 acres of unlawful poppy cultivation in Ukhrul district's Shihai Khullen hill range. This effort is part of a broader campaign that has eliminated over 19,135.6 acres of illegal cultivation since 2017 across 12 districts.

The Manipur Police, in collaboration with the forest department, successfully dismantled approximately 55 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the Shihai Khullen hill range located within the Ukhrul district, as announced in an official statement released on Tuesday.

During a forceful operation conducted on Monday, five huts discovered on the poppy fields were also set ablaze. An investigation is underway to track down those responsible for masterminding the illegal plantation, as confirmed by police authorities. The Manipur administration has, to date, obliterated a total of 19,135.6 acres of illicit poppy cultivation across at least 12 districts since 2017, per an official report.

The highest area cleared, according to the report 'Mapping and Estimation of Opium Poppy Cultivation Area using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology', was in Kangpokpi district with 4,454.4 acres, followed by 3,348 acres in Ukhrul and 2,713.8 acres in Churachandpur.

(With inputs from agencies.)