Stepping up the crackdown against cannabis cultivation in Odisha, the Malkangiri district administration has destroyed cannabis hemp plants grown over 250 acres within the past one week.
“In continuation of the special drive against ganja cultivation, a team of Mudulipada police station has destroyed hemp plants cultivated in about 65 acres of land in the Badadural area. We will continue our drive by spreading out to cultivation areas in other parts of the district,” said Prahlad Sahai Meena, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police.
The police destroyed about 65,000 plants.
Worst-hit area
Malkangiri continues to be the worst-affected district as far as the presence of Left-Wing Extremism is concerned. The cannabis cultivation is taken up clandestinely deep in the forest. Illicit cultivation is flourishing in remote areas with the support of Left ultras.
In separate drives taken up in Kalimela, Chitrakonda and Mathili police station limits of the district, a total of 1,89,000 hemp plants were felled and set on fire in 135 acres of land at three places Rajulukonda (Chitrakonda), Tekguda (Kalimela) and Gumajharam (Mathili).
Similarly, Chitrakonda police also destroyed hemp plants at Rajulkonda-Bangur-Rekhapalli area, cultivated on about over 70 acres. During this process, almost 98,000 cannabis plants were destroyed. Odisha is one of the leading ganja (cannabis) producing States in India. In 2019-20, hemp plants were destroyed in 18,295 acres, it went up to 23,538 acres in 10 districts in 2020-21.
