In a decisive war against production, sale and use of psychotropic substances and drugs in Jharkhand the Jharkhand government for the first time began using drones for mapping and identifying poppy fields so that the standing crop could be destroyed by the security forces.
A contingent of 700 jawans led by Ranchi Zone Inspector General of Police Akhilesh Jha reached Khunti district, infamous for poppy cultivation, of the State on Thursday.
Armed with drones, tractors and other devices the jawans began a massive drive which will continue for 12 days. About 900 additional forces have also been sent from the State headquarters to destroy opium in the district.
As part of this crackdown, 40 tractors have been deployed across more than 180 villages to eradicate the crops.
SP Aman Kumar stated that since opium is often cultivated in remote and densely forested areas, making it difficult to detect from a distance, drones are being used for mapping these regions.
Once identified, police personnel move in to destroy the crops. A total of five long-range and six short-range drones are being deployed for the operation, he added.
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The SP further mentioned that each police station has been assigned at least one drone, while severely affected areas like Arki, Sayko, Murhu, and Maranghada have been provided with multiple drones. Given that this is the peak season for opium cultivation, large-scale operations will continue until February 17 to ensure complete eradication.
Notably, villagers in over 60 villages have voluntarily destroyed opium crops spread across more than 500 acres, fearing police action. In these villages, gram sabhas (community meetings) were held, where residents collectively decided to eliminate the crops to avoid trouble with law enforcement.
Additionally, a door-to-door awareness campaign has been launched, urging villagers to switch to alternative crops and embrace a fear-free way of life. According to police data, 34 individuals have been arrested so far, and investigations are underway to identify landowners whose properties were used for opium farming. So far, authorities have destroyed opium crops spread across more than 3,500 acres.
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