Central Bureau of Narcotics destroys 5,165 acres of illicit cannabis cultivation in Himachal Pradesh under Operation Parivartan

Key facts

• The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed 5,165 acres (2,070 hectares) of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation over one month in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh under 'Operation Parivartan'.
• The illicit cultivation was identified using ground surveys and drone technology, with the destruction carried out with support from the Forest Department and the Police Department.
• CBN teams destroyed illicit cultivation at altitudes up to approximately 3,500 metres despite difficult Himalayan terrain.
• After the operation, CBN officers held a public dialogue (Jan Samvad) with villagers of Malana village to promote alternative development strategies including alternative crop development, as mandated by the NDPS Policy 2012.
• CBN is the apex drug law enforcement and regulative agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, responsible for identifying and destroying illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium.