Poppy plants destroyed in Similipal

Baripada: Opium plantation was detected inside Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district and poppy plants worth Rs 1.91 crore were destroyed, police said on Monday. A joint team of Police, Excise and Forest departments detected two patches of illegal poppy plantation on a total of 1.09 acres of land under the jurisdiction of Jashipur police station and carried out the drive on Sunday.

The area had been devoid of human activities and is traversed by tigers and other wild animals, an official statement said. A total of 95,850 opium plants worth Rs 1.91 crore were destroyed, it said.

The illegal cultivation was carried out deep inside the national park in gross violation of forest and wildlife protection laws, the statement said. Two cases have been registered at Jashipur police station and further investigation is underway to identify those involved and ascertain how such large-scale cultivation was carried out inside the national park, it added.

Illegal poppy cultivation has been a recurring issue in the remote areas of Similipal reserve. The area is difficult to access, which has been exploited by drug mafias who reportedly employ locals for cultivation.