The Information Centre For Hills Areas Manipur (ICHAM) on Friday called upon the masses to actively support the War on Drugs, "instead of holding discussions on the matter as the War on Drugs would not be successful with the public participation."
Speaking to the media at the ICHAM office at Koirengei in Imphal East, its president Yuimi Horam said that despite many efforts to curb the issue of drug menace, many youths are still facing the wrath of illicit drugs.
The War on Drugs introduced by the chief minister is vital at this crucial hour, he said, adding, ICHAM had been actively participating in this war since 2022.
As an initial step, ICHAM has been conducting various awareness programmes in different hill districts and convinced many villages to stop any sorts of poppy cultivation, he mentioned.
The president elaborated that ICHAM convinced as many as 27 villages in Churachandpur and destroyed a poppy plantation of around 1,500 acres which are almost 99 per cent of the plantation in the district.
As many as 25 villages were convinced in Saikul region and almost 90 per cent of the plantations were destroyed while 2000.40 acres of poppy plantations were destroyed in Ukhrul, he said.
For Ukhrul district, 100 per cent destruction of poppy cultivation will be achieved within this month, he added.
He further drew the attention of the state government to increase the budget for the horticultural sector, pointing out that it is the department which can provide alternatives to the former poppy farmers.
After all, providing alternative means of livelihood will be the only key to make Manipur a poppy-free state, said Horam.
