Imphal, March 21 2010: Poppy plants planted at Wachatkhaibi village of Ukhrul district were destroyed by a combined team of Narcotic Control Bureau, Imphal Regional Unit and All Manipur Anti-Drug Association assisted by the troops of 22 Assam Rifles and police personnel at Litan Police Station.

Poppy plant was found cultivated to an area of around 2000 acres in the fields of village Mapithel and Wakatkhaibi Range.

Some of the poppy plant had already harvested.

But plants to an area of around 500 acres were eliminated by the combined team.

With regard to the late visit to the area, AMADA secretary, Ph Phony said that they knew the mass scale plantation of poppy plant in the area around two months back.

But considering the potential difficulties to be faced by AMADA entering the area alone, they have been efforting to take help from the concern authorities.

AMADA had earlier destroyed some fields in Ukhrul areas where poppy are growth and given awareness to the villagers to replace their fields by other food crops.

If the government extend co-operation, AMADA would be able to completely destroy the illicit cultivation of the plant, Phony observed.

Intelligence officer of NCB, RK Ibungosana said the bureau has the information of mass scale plantation of poppy plant across the hill areas of the state but as NCB is not an armed set up, they have no advantage of going at the place for elimination.

So, they have to take the help of security forces which is time consuming in communicating.

Expressing disappointment over unable to destroyed the all the plants at Mapithel and Wachetkhaibi village, he said despite all this they could destroyed around 500 acre and also came to know the places where the poppy plant cultivate for future information.

He also said that a man who is arrested with opium and cultivate it, he can be booked under section 48 of NDPC Act and sentence for five year in jail.

The provision of extending 10 to 30 year is also there, he added.

On the other hand, according to villagers, they have been cultivating the poppy plant since 2008 and they took kin interest in it as it got more incomes then cultivating food crops.

But they will not engage in the work in future as they were aware of the evil side of poppy plant.

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