Officials from the Visakhapatnam rural police and the Excise and Prohibition Department are on a massive campaign to destroy ganja plantations across various Agency mandals in Visakhapatnam district.
Since the last three weeks, ganja plantations in about 512 acres in the areas of Paderu and Pedabayulu interior areas have been destroyed. Officials say that each acre of ganja plantations can yield around 500 to 700 kg ganja. Approximately ₹75 crore worth ganja is estimated to be have been destroyed and the campaign is expected to continue for the next couple of weeks.
Security issues
Conducting raids over the ganja plantations and destroying them during cultivation stage is not a new strategy from the officials. During the year 2018-19, hundreds of ganja plantations spread across 10 mandals in the Agency areas of the district had been damaged. However after the brutal murder of Araku TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma by the Left Wing Extremists (LWE) on September 24, 2018, such raids were stopped due to security issues. Even in the year 2019, there was no permission from rural police to take up any such campaign due to LWE movement in several regions.
Delay in campaign
According to officials, most of the crop was harvested during the late November or early December. However, many farmers are yet to receive crop in several areas.
“Due to cyclones, heavy rainfall and flood-like situation last year, many farmers started cultivation late. Moreover during June 2019, when we created awareness about the action initiated against ganja cultivation and their producers, many farmers took time to start cultivating the crop, feeling that their crop might be also damaged. So there are still plenty of acres left where farmers need to get the crop,” said Inspector of Special Task Force (STF) of Excise and Prohibition Department, Anakapalle, K. Kameswara Rao.
According to a senior official from the Excise Department, based on credible information, the police and the excise teams are able to conduct raids in interior locations on hilly terrains.
“We are taking the help of drones after reaching specific locations. After confirmation, the plantations are being destroyed. Raids will continue in many more locations,” he said.
However, it was learnt that the officials were asked not to conduct any raids in areas of G. Madugula, Munchingputtu, G.K. Veedhi and Chintapalle due to the LWE movement.
