Operation Parivartan: SEB destroys ganja plants worth Rs 1000 crore in Andhra
These cultivations were destroyed in Chintapalli Mandal, G Madugula Mandal, Pedabayalu Mandal, and GK Veedhi Mandal, falling under Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 24 Nov 2021 7:56 AM GMT
Visakhapatnam: Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) and the police have destroyed ganja crop spread over 4003.75 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh between October 30 and November 20.
According to SEB, the estimated value of Ganja plants destroyed is Rs 1000.94 crore.
Operation Parivartan, under which SEB destroy the ganja crop, create awareness on the consequences of the illegal trade and provisions under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, besides educating growers on alternative crops.
Andhra Pradesh police have set up a Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) headed by an Inspector General and two DIG rank officers.
It is pertinent to note that the Ganja crop gets ready for harvest in the mid of November. SEB has started Operation Parivartan. Officials have destroyed ganja crop over 3649.45 acres of land. Ganja over 354.30 acres of land was voluntarily destroyed by the cultivators.
These cultivations were destroyed in Chintapalli Mandal, G Madugula Mandal, Pedabayalu Mandal, and GK Veedhi Mandal fall in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts. Around 206 teams were part of the SEB operation which was conducted in 155 villages.
According to Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police, Damodar Gautam Sawang, Ganja cultivation along the Andhra-Orissa order is a half a century-old issue. Most of the cannabis is cultivated in Naxal-infested areas along the Andhra –Odisha border.
"It is pertinent to note that the Ganja cultivation is spread across border area of Andhra Pradesh-Odisha. Only one district of Andhra Pradesh is affected by illegal Ganja cultivation. To be precise, five Mandals falling under the Vizag agency have reported cannabis cultivation. Smuggling is not an 'Andhra phenomenon' alone. It is predominantly on Andhra -Odisha border. Over the years, the menace has overtaken Kerala's and Manali's grass," DGP told NewsMeter earlier.
When asked why state police have not been able to destroy the Ganja crop despite manpower and resources, the DGP had said that Ganja cultivation is mostly found in difficult terrains. Inaccessibility, Maoist infestation, extortion mafia are the first line of enemies.
Over the years, smugglers from Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh have established a cultivation hub. A large number of smugglers involved in the supply chain are non-locals. The nexus is deep-rooted, wide, and mind-boggling.
