Over 19,000 acres of illegal poppy cultivation destroyed in Manipur since 2017: Report

IMPHAL: The Manipur administration has eradicated 19,135.6 acres of unlawful poppy plantations across 12 districts since 2017, according to an official report.
The largest area cleared was in Kangpokpi district at 4,454.4 acres, with Ukhrul and Churachandpur following at 3,348 and 2,713.8 acres respectively, as per the study titled "Mapping and Estimation of Opium Poppy Cultivation Area using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology".
The Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre, under the Planning Department, conducted this assessment using data from the state police's 'Narcotics and Affairs of Border' division.
Additional districts where illegal cultivation was eliminated included Tengnoupal with 2,575 acres, Chandel with 1,982.5 acres, and Senapati with 1,682 acres.
The report indicated that poppy cultivation across nine districts reduced from 28,598.91 acres in 2021-22 to 11,288.1 acres in 2023-24.
The study showed a 32.13 per cent reduction in poppy cultivation between 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022-23.
Chief minister N Biren Singh stated on X last month that the state administration remains dedicated to eliminating illegal poppy cultivation in the northeastern state.