Manamunda police destroyed around 52,000 illegally grown cannabis plants in the Bhalu Pahad forest area near Bagidia village in Boudh district on Wednesday, opening the district police’s Zero Cannabis Cultivation in Boudh mission.[1] The plants were uprooted and burnt in the presence of a gazetted officer, revenue officials, excise and forest staff and witnesses, with the sub-divisional police officer inspecting the drive.[1]
A case was registered against unidentified persons at Manamunda police station, case 406 dated 14 October, under Section 20(a)(i) of the NDPS Act and Section 27(1) of the Orissa Forest Act, and police are working to identify who grew cannabis on the forest land.[1] Days earlier, the NCB had joined the launch of the Anti Narcotics Task Force’s Mission Zero Cannabis Cultivation for Kandhamal and Boudh, the two districts holding most of the state’s illicit crop, targeting elimination by March 2027.[2]