Opium crops destroyed in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh

ITANAGAR: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), New Delhi, in a joint operation with the Lohit district administration has destroyed opium crops cultivated across 110 hectares in the Shivajinagar and Panbari areas.
The team, led by NCB officials, started the operation from February 6, a communiqué said here on Tuesday.
"Opium crops spread across 15 acres were damaged in Panbari. On Saturday, when the NCB team, comprising labourers, were heading for Tafragam, some local women intercepted them and blocked the road with logs.Circle officer (CO) reported about the situation to the DC and the SP and sought deployment of police personnel, the communiqué added.
The agitating women also pelted stones at the team and the CO's vehicle was damaged, the communiqué said.
NCB teams visit this pocket of Lohit district every year during this time, season for opium cultivation, to damage opium crops. Opium is illegally cultivated in the entire stretch from the 32 Mile area to Lohitpur, along the roads leading to Demwe and Tafragam and also in the kitchen gardens of the local residents.
"The villagers are unaware of the ill effects of opium. The craze for earning easy bucks in a short span is the reason for its popularity," the CO said.
The government is providing a series of special economic packages as alternatives to opium cultivation, the communiqué said.