Odisha has earned a distinction in India for one of the highest hauls of narcotic drugs, especially cannabis. The volume of ganja alone stood at a staggering 1.67 lakh kilos in 2021. Drug seizures from the state spiralled from 50,000-odd kilos in 2018 to over a lakh kilos in four years. There are two sides to it. The massive haul by state agencies like Special Task Force (STF), Excise, Police and central bodies such as Narcotics Control Bureau and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence means there is an increased crackdown against production and supply sources in the state.
Cannabis, primarily grown in tribal districts, flourished under the protection of the Left Wing Maoist outfits. With the Naxal footprints on the wane, production volume is expected to come down substantially. It’s a massive industry that feeds demands from north India. Suppliers from districts like Malkangiri have found ways to escape through multiple state borders to reach their destinations as far as Rajasthan. With the Ministry of Home Affairs flagging the issue, the state administration has doubled its efforts to go after the growers and traffickers, which deserves appreciation.
However, the grim side is the growing footprint of heroin in the state. In 2021, the STF seized over 55 kilos of contraband; by June this year, another 23 kilos had already been confiscated. Much of the trade is confined to Odisha’s coastal pockets, with a large chunk of supply ending up in Bhubaneswar. The concentration of educational institutes—close to 100 professional colleges with over half a lakh students—has attracted organised trade, with delivery only a phone call away.
The consequences are for all to see as there is an uptick in drug-trade-related violence in the state capital while rehabilitation centres are busy dealing with people seeking support. Suicides from drug addiction are another dark and ugly facet of the menace. The trade from across international borders runs through West Bengal, and even strict enforcement has not helped. This calls for urgent efforts from the state government to arrest the trend. It must not only strengthen policing mechanisms and intelligence to crack down and uproot all the trade networks but also bring stakeholders together to prevent the youth from falling into the death trap.