Ganja cultivation drops in ASR district as farmers shift to sustainable practices

The Hindu

6 hours ago

In a significant development ahead of the 'International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking', which is observed on June 26, Visakha Range Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Gopinath Jatti has announced that the ganja cultivation in the Agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district has witnessed a major drop.
The DIG attributed the decline to a large-scale transition of farmers to sustainable agricultural practices.
Pointing out that ganja used to be cultivated in thousands of acres in the tribal pockets, the DIG said that a recent aerial survey of 14,870 acres in 327 villages identified ganja cultivation in just 93 acres spread across 158 locations in 38 villages.
'These small and scattered ganja crops have also been destroyed, and those involved in its farming have been booked under the NDPS Act,' Mr. Jatti said.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Mr. Jatti said that the police were focussing on three major areas to combat the ganja issue —cultivation, consumption, and transportation.
In the last year alone, the DIG said, the administration distributed 4.68 million saplings of 22 species in 10,803.25 acres for rabi season.
Around 10,256 farmers from 20 mandals have shifted from ganja farming to sustainable crops. Additionally, 4,496 quintals of rajma seeds were distributed among 35,618 farmers in the areas previously known for ganja cultivation.
'The A.P. Police are also coordinating with the counterparts in Odisha, particularly in Malkangiri district, to monitor and curb the cross-border cultivation of ganja,' Mr. Jatti said.
Surveillance and awareness
Referring to the consumption aspect, Mr. Jatti said that community-based strategies, including monthly inter-departmental meetings, formation of village-level committees, and awareness campaigns in educational institutions, were being undertaken. Despite these efforts, he admitted that not many people came forward to report about the local drug use.
'Last year, 10,654 awareness campaigns were held in 3,039 educational institutions. The police set up 376 anonymous drop boxes for receiving information about NDPS-related cases. Nineteen drones, along with special NDPS patrols, have been deployed to maintain surveillance on the consumption hotspots,' Mr. Jatti said.
checkpoints
To curb ganja smuggling, the police have set up 26 checkposts equipped with CCTVs and 289 dynamic checking points across the vulnerable region, he said. Nine trained canine units would help detect cases. Over the past year, police have arrested 25 inter-state and 44 inter-district smuggling gangs, he said.
As part of financial crackdowns, the police have attached properties worth ₹9.76 crore belonging to eight accused in cases booked under the NDPS Act, sending a strong message that assets acquired through illicit drug trade would be confiscated.