The Visakhapatnam District Police destroyed ganja cultivation of about 80 acres at G Madugula Mandal in the district. This drive was organised on Saturday, with the support of the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) and the Revenue and Forest Departments. The razing was a part of the district police’s ongoing efforts to curb ganja trade in the district.
Taking part in the drive, Superintendent of Visakhapatnam Police (Rural), Boddepalli Krishna Rao IPS, shared that this razing is being conducted under the leadership of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police, D Gautam Sawang IPS. DGP Sawang had earlier spoken about the state police’s plans on coordinated action against ganja trade.
Under this drive, called the Parivartana Programme, the district police had first identified the land being used for ganja cultivation using satellite, GPS and drone feed. The Revenue, and Forest Departments and ITDA’s help was also taken in this process. Later, a team of police officials, led by SP Krishna Rao and SEB Deputy Commissioner, SVVN Babji Rao IPS, had gone to the site and destroyed all the ganja crop. Eight bush-cutters were utilised in this process.
“Ganja cultivation has been a major issue in the Visakhapatnam District, especially along the Andhra Pradesh – Odisha Border (AOB) region. The district police are taking stringent measures, in coordination with SEB officials, to curb this trade. The tribals in the region need to come forward and help the police in defeating this menace, by giving information on ganja cultivation or voluntarily destroying any such plantation in their surroundings,” said SP Krishna Rao.
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