Odisha: Keonjhar officials destroy 12,000 ganja plants in major crackdown
Keonjhar, November 30
In one of the biggest anti-narcotics crackdowns in recent months, officials in Keonjhar district uprooted and destroyed nearly 12, 000 ganja (cannabis) plants, amounting to 4000 kg, cultivated illegally across multiple patches inside the Tangarpada Khesara forest area, authorities said on Saturday.
The large-scale operation, spanning nearly five to six acres of forest land, was conducted by a joint enforcement team comprising personnel from the BJP Range Forest Staff, Kanjipani Police Station and the Excise Department, Keonjhar. The illegal plantations were found in four separate patches around Tangarpada, Sunajhari and Benidihi regions.
According to officials, preliminary assessments indicate that the destroyed plants carry an estimated market value between Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore.
The coordinated action was undertaken under the supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Keonjhar, who said that persistent surveillance and strict enforcement drives will continue to curb illegal cultivation and encroachment in forest zones. .
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good step, but I hope the focus is also on catching the masterminds behind this cultivation. Uprooting plants is one thing, but the real victory will be when the big players funding this are behind bars.
Rs 1-1.5 crore worth? That's huge money. Shows how deep this problem runs. Kudos to the joint team. Hope this sends a strong message.
While enforcement is necessary, I respectfully wonder if there's also a conversation to be had about the socio-economic reasons people turn to this in forest areas. Destruction alone might not be a long-term solution without addressing root causes.
This is the news we need to see more often! Protecting our forests from such illegal activities is so important for the environment and our society. Well done, team! ðŸ‘
Joint operations between forest, police, and excise are the way to go. Hope they continue the surveillance as promised. These patches don't grow overnight; someone local must have known.
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