Officials of the Prohibition and Excise Department have destroyed about 10,000 ganja plants being cultivated abutting the streams in Pathakota and Punisina Metta villages of Y. Ramavaram mandal in East Godavari district. The value of the destroyed crop is estimated to be about ₹ 20.11 lakh and the operation was taken up by the department with the help of the police on Sunday.
Ganja cultivation came up for discussion during a workshop chaired by Director-General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao here on January 19. As the DGP highlighted the need for close coordination between the Police and the Excise Departments to curb it, the officials planned the joint operation.
Following a tip-off, the officials headed by Superintendent of the Prohibition and Excise Department N. Surjith Singh trekked the hillocks and waded through the Isukarevu and Rallarevu streams to reach the plantation.
Permanent
irrigation system
To their surprise, the officials spotted permanent irrigation system and stocks of fertilizer bags at the plantation. In all, the officials chopped off 10,056 plants and burnt them after dousing them with diesel and kerosene.
Speaking to the media here on Monday, Mr. Singh made it clear that it was just the beginning of a series of raids to be conducted to weed out ganja cultivation from the district. In all, two Assistant Excise Superintendents and an equal number of Inspectors along with 23 constables participated in the operation.
