In a significant crackdown on illegal cultivation, the Herhunj police in Jharkhand's Latehar district have successfully destroyed a vast stretch of illicit poppy crops spread across forest land. The operation, which took place on Monday between the areas of Ichak and Dorang, led to the eradication of the banned vegetation on 16 acres of forest land.
Operation Details: Drones and Tractors in Action
Krishnapal Singh Pavaiya, the officer-in-charge of Herhunj police station, provided details of the operation on Tuesday. He revealed that the illicit plantation was first identified with the assistance of drone surveillance combined with human intelligence. To clear the extensive area, authorities deployed five tractors, which worked for a continuous span of five hours to uproot and destroy the crops.
Pavaiya also highlighted a strategic upgrade in their eradication methods. "We have procured a rotavator. It will pull out the vegetation of poppy from the root," he stated, indicating a move towards more thorough destruction to prevent regrowth. The police clarified that the poppy grown clandestinely in the Palamu and Latehar districts is of the annual variety.
Legal Implications and Forest Act Violations
An interesting legal aspect of this operation is that since the destroyed poppy was in a vegetative condition, no case under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act could be registered. Instead, the police are focusing on environmental damage. Sources indicated that the forest department is being urged to lodge a case under the Indian Forest Act for the destruction of jungle, herbs, and shrubs to make way for the illegal plantation.
"In consultation with the forest personnel, we are working on the modalities of the case against unknown growers," confirmed Officer Pavaiya. This approach aims to hold perpetrators accountable for causing harm to forest ecology.
Context of the Region and Ongoing Vigilance
The Herhunj region has historically been noted for extremist activities, which police sources acknowledge have reduced but are not completely eradicated. This anti-narcotics operation is part of broader efforts to enforce law and order in the area. The use of technology like drones marks a modern tactic in the fight against illicit activities in difficult terrains.
The successful destruction of the poppy crop underscores the ongoing vigilance of the Jharkhand police against drug cultivation, emphasizing both legal and ecological consequences for such illegal acts.
