The Manipur government is taking the help of the Army and Assam Rifles to eliminate poppy cultivation in border areas as part of its war on drugs that also includes projects to wean away drug users, the chief minister has said.
"Thousands of hectares of land are used for poppy cultivation in areas near the international border with Myanmar," Chief Minister N Biren Singh told a group of visiting journalists recently.
The northeastern state, which is close to the infamous Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia known for drug trafficking, has been hit by drugs and a large number of HIV cases owing to intravenous drug usage.
Singh said poppy is exported to other countries via the Golden Triangle.
"We are taking help of the Army and Assam Rifles to root out the cultivation of poppy in Manipur," the chief minister said, adding that the poppy growers are being rehabilitated with lemon grass cultivation.
Lalboi, a poppy cultivator from Joupi village in the southern part of the state, said during an interaction with PTI at Kakchin town, that he along with many others in and around his village were engaged in poppy cultivation for livelihood.
Noting that there are around 150 poppy cultivators in his area, he said, "Assam Rifles is helping us with seeds and know-how in cultivating lemon grass so that we give up cultivation of poppy."