Odisha government’s anti-cannabis operation to involve drones
BHUBANESWAR: Amid a rise in the seizure of cannabis and destruction of hemp cultivation by enforcement agencies in several districts, the Odisha government on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, decided to use drones, satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies to locate illegal plantations.
Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra took the decision at a high-level meeting. The police and the Excise department will intensify enforcement activities to prevent hemp farming in the State and destroy plants before they are harvested using modern technology.
The State police and Excise department jointly destroyed hemp cultivation on 22,217 acres of land in ten districts in 2020-21, compared to 9,473 acres in 2018-19, said Principal Secretary, Excise Sushil Kumar Lohani.
Taking a district-wise review with collectors in the presence of DGP Abhaya and Additional Chief Secretary Home Sanjeev Chopra, the Chief Secretary was directed to spot areas and villages where illegal hemp cultivation is undertaken by gathering local intelligence.
The Chief Secretary also directed the identification of the land records of private persons on whose land hemp is cultivated and the stringent initiating of proceedings against them as per the provisions of the NDPS Act. The collectors were asked to prepare district-level action plans for preventing such illegal means of earning through targeted alternative livelihood interventions.
“Identify the poor tribal families who make a living from the trade and provide them alternative livelihood opportunities through the convergence of Odisha Livelihood Mission, National Livelihood Mission, MGNREGS, farming of cash crop, agri-business, agro-product aggregation, small food processing units, and allied activities,” Mohapatra told the officials. The Collectors were asked to visit villages where hemp cultivation was taken up earlier and talk with people about sustainable livelihood options.
The field-level officers of different departments were asked to visit the villages frequently and follow up on livelihood activities with farmers and wage earners. Development Commissioner Pradeep Jena advised the department to intensify awareness and IEC activities in the identified villages by involving the village community, PRI representatives, NGOs, SHGs, and farmers’ clubs. It was also decided that grants under OLM, NRLM, and departmental livelihood schemes should be enhanced in vulnerable areas.
Disclaimer: This article is originally published on https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2021/oct/06/odisha-governments-anti-cannabis-operation-to-involve-drones-satellite-imaging-remote-sensors-2368283.html#:~:text=BHUBANESWAR%3A%20Amid%20a%20rise%20in,technologies%20to%20locate%20illegal%20plantations.
