RANCHI: For the first time in Jharkhand, drones are being used in mapping of opium cultivation and destroying them by the state police in Khunti disctrict.
In a massive operation launched by Jharkhand police on Thursday to destroy opium cultivation in the district, 900 police personnel have been roped along with two companies of Paramilitary forces for area domination at the Seraikela-Khunti-Chaibasa tri-junction which is also helping the police personnel in destroying the opium cultivation.
In addition to that, as many as 40 tractors have also been deployed to destroy opium cultivation in more than 180 villages in the district. According to police, the operation will continue for the next 12 days.
“Since, opium cultivation is done in very far-flung areas behind the bushes, which cannot be located from a distance. Therefore we have started using drones through which mapping of the region is done. Following this the area where cultivation is done is identified and destroyed by the police personnel involved in the operation,” said Khunti SP Aman Kumar.
A total of five long-range and six short-range drones are being used in the operation, he added.
According to the SP, at least one drone has been provided in each of the police stations while places like Arki, Sayko, Murhu and Maranghada, which are worst affected, have been provided more than one drone. Since, this is the peak season of opium cultivation, to destroy it completely, massive operations will be conducted till February 17, he said.
The SP further added that it also happened for the first time that opium cultivation has been destroyed by the villagers themselves in more than 60 villages on more than 500 acres of land out of deterrence by the operation being conducted in the region. Gram sabha meetings were called in those villages and it was decided unanimously to destroy the opium cultivation to avoid trouble by the police.
Ranchi Range DIG Akhilesh Jha asserted that a large number of police forces have been deployed in this campaign along with drones and tractors. The state is making efforts to destroy the opium crop completely in the region, he said. “Strict action will be taken against those who are involved in it,” said the DIG.
A door-to-door campaign has also been launched under which people are being told to choose alternative forms of farming instead of opium cultivation and live in a fear-free environment, he added.
According to the data provided by police, 34 people have been arrested so far and the process of identifying the land owners where opium cultivation was destroyed is still underway. Opium cultivation in more than 3500 acres of land has already been destroyed by the police so far. DGP Anurag Gupta has also warned that strict action will be taken against police officers found supporting opium cultivators.
Apart from Ranchi, the districts of Khunti, Hazaribagh, Latehar, Palamu, and Chatra have become fertile grounds for the opium mafia. Notably, Khunti is among the worst-affected districts, where opium is grown illegally as a major crop.
With support from villagers and Maoists, the opium mafia has been cultivating opium in some of the pockets of Jharkhand having Maoist influence.