Illegal poppy cultivation: Orders to destroy ‘flourishing' fields in Mussoorie

Ajay Ramola

Tribune news Service

Mussoorie, May 21

As you drive down to Chaskhet village near Mussoorie, fields with poppies welcome you. Drive further and the extent of illegal poppy cultivation in fields around the mountains of Mussoorie becomes clear. There seems no check on the illegal practice and the danger of it being harvested and smuggled within and outside India in connivance with drug traffickers looms large.

A survey conducted by the Revenue Department has revealed that the poppy plantation is being done in several villages, including Chaskhet. Mussoorie's Naib Thesildar Virendar Singh said the illegal cultivation had been brought to the notice of the Sub-division Magistrate, Mussoorie, and the DM, Dehradun. He further said the poppy fields were ready for harvesting and the danger was that by the time officials reached there, no traces of these would be left.

Dehradun DM Ravinath Raman said he had received several complaints about the illegal poppy cultivation in villages around Mussoorie. He said he had directed officials to team up with narcotics officials to conduct inspections, pin down the cultivators, and destroy the crop. He said he couldn't say more until he received a detailed inspection report in the matter.

In a survey done by Central Bureau of Narcotics (NCB), the poppy cultivation is done in nearly 428 acres in the country and growing alarmingly in Uttarakhand too. Former state Chief Secretary Subash Kumar, during his tenure, had directed officials of the Revenue, Police, Narcotics, Social Welfare, Forest, Health and Agriculture Departments to form a team and act against the menace. However, nothing has been done since as all files regarding the matter are biting the dust.

It is believed that over 60 percent of the poppy produce from the the state is smuggled out to countries like Israel, Italy, Holland and other European countries. The remaining is sent to Nepal, Goa, Punjab, Delhi and parts of the country.

The poppy seeds are sown in month of December and the crop is harvested in April and May. Each bigha yields 3.5 kg of opium, which translates to 225 gm of heroin and is sold in the market at a whopping rate.