A cannabis plant

Cuttack, Aug. 30: Police and excise officials may take the aerial route to combat the menace of cannabis, which has emerged as a cash crop in several districts of the state.

Maoists have reportedly been patronising the cultivation in the remote areas of Sambalpur and Malkangiri.

Emerging from a conference on measures to prevent the cultivation of the illegal intoxicant, senior police officials here said that the option of aerial spraying of chemicals to destroy ganja plantations was being considered.

“As there has been a significant increase in the illegal cultivation of cannabis in the state, there is need for a co-ordinated effort to curb such activities. We are exploring the possibility of carrying out aerial spraying in inaccessible and hilly areas where cannabis is being grown,” said director general of police Prakash Mishra, who discussed the issue with excise officials at the crime branch headquarters here.

Mishra admitted that cannabis cultivation was rampant in Angul, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Malkangiri, Kandhamal and Boudh districts. Most of these districts have hilly terrains and have big tribal populations. A lot of people were also involved in the smuggling of ganja.

Superintendents of police of eight districts — Malkangiri, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Boudh, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Angul and Deogarh — besides excise officials, attended the conference.

“Physical destruction of the cannabis crop requires a lot of labour. Hence the possibility of using aerial spray to destroy the crop is being explored,” said additional director general (crime branch) B.K. Sharma. He said the growing of cannabis had turned into an organised crime with inter-state ramifications and it had become imperative to deal with it urgently.

“We have decided to intensify operations against illegal ganja cultivation while identifying the people involved in its smuggling,” said Sharma.

Sources said that cultivation of ganja in the interior areas of Sambalpur and Malkangiri districts was being patronised by Maoists, who find it an easy source of income to fund their violent activities. In the “cut-off” areas of Makangiri bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which is yet to be penetrated by the security forces, the plant is reportedly being grown with impunity.

Official sources said that the superintendents of police of all the districts where ganja is being grown have been given specific targets to destroy illegal plantations and act against the growers. Till a final decision is taken on aerial spraying of chemicals, police and excise officials involved in the drive would be provided with equipment such as cutters to destroy ganja plants.