The district police have destroyed ganja plantations in about 80 acres spread across several villages in G. Madugula mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Saturday.
The drive was organised with the support of the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), and the Revenue and Forest departments.
Superintendent of Police B. Krishna Rao, SEB Deputy Commissioner S.V.V.N. Babji Rao and a few other officials took part.
‘Parivartana’
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Krishna Rao said, under the leadership of DGP D. Gautam Sawang, the district police had launched a ‘Parivartana’ programme. In association with the Revenue, ITDA and other departments, the police had conducted a survey to identify the land being cultivated under ganja.
“We have used satellite images, GPS, and drones to locate the ganja plantations,” Mr. Krishna Rao said.
Awareness drive
“This apart, the police have been organising awareness campaigns to educate the villagers about the consequences of ganja cultivation, and how it impacts the future of youth. In many mandals, the residents have come forward to destroy the ganja plantations,” he said
“Ganja smuggling has been a major issue in the Visakhapatnam Agency areas, especially in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region. Stringent measures are being taken to contain it. The police and the SEB personnel have been in the forefront in the fight against smuggling of drugs, and it is reflected in the record number of cases being registered and seizures made in the last few years,” Mr. Krishna Rao asserted.
Stating that the drive against the plantations would continue, the SP appealed to the tribal people to voluntarily destroy the ganja crops and shift to alternative crops.
ASP of Chintapalli Tushar Dudi, ASP of Paderu P. Jagdish, and SEB Joint Director Satish Kumar were present.
