SONAMURA, December 4 (TIWN): In the biggest ever single-day destruction-operation of Ganja Plantations undertaken anywhere in the State, a massive 142.5 acre of vibrant Ganja Plantations worth a whopping 44.5 Crore were chopped down today in the vicinity of the scenic Chandicherra lake of South Taibandal ADC Village under Mohanbhog R D Block. During the operation jointly carried out by the Sonamura Sub-Divisional Administration of BSF 29 Battalion, total of 1.78 lakh Ganja Plants was destroyed, which has surpassed all the previous scales of operations conducted so far against such illicit plantations. Noticeably, during the course of the operation, there were some attempts of resistance by the ganja-growers, and the BSF had to make three rounds of blank-fire to disperse the mob that had gathered at the plantation areas.

Today’s operation was also most logistically demanding, and strenuous, involving 60 civilian labourers, 25 BSF personnel drawn from BSF Dhanpur and Kulubari BOPs, and 5 personnel from Sub-Divisional Administration, totaling 90 personnel; and it spanned about 8 hours on end, from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m.

Today’s operation was jointly headed by the SDM Sonamura-Subhasis Das, and the Coy Commander of BSF Dhanpur BOP, Anil Ranwa.

The enormity of the plantations raised in Chandicherra area can easily be gauged from the fact that even after carrying out a similar joint operation on 23rd November this year, only one third of the plantations could be destroyed on that day. With today’s operation, the leftover two third plantations in the area has been destroyed today, and consequently the entire area surrounding the sprawling Chandicherra lake has now been freed of the illicit plantations that were reportedly grown with impunity by the nexus of some local unscrupulous elements and businessmen from outside-areas who had invested heavily in such plantations in the form of input materials including fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation systems, labour wages, and surveillance costs.

It may be recalled that on the first day of operation in the area on 23.11.2014, some outsiders had arrived there riding in costly vehicles like Tata Sumo, Bolero, Swift, etc. to enquire about the destruction operation that was being undertaken at that time. Today’s operation was also most logistically demanding, and strenuous, involving 60 civilian labourers, 25 BSF personnel drawn from BSF Dhanpur and Kulubari BOPs, and 5 personnel from Sub-Divisional Administration, totaling 90 personnel; and it spanned about 8 hours on end, from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. Besides, two inflatable boats, one drawn from SDM Sonamura office and another from SDM Bishalgarh office, were also deployed to easily access the plantation areas using the water-routes across the lake, since absence of boats was one of the logistical bottlenecks encountered on the first day of operation on 23rd November, 2014.

Due to its tourism potential, the Chandicherra lake is now being developed as one of the most prominent tourist spots of the State, with entertainment facilities and amenities like water-park, water-sport, cafeteria, tourist lodge, etc. Since it is considered as a perennial reservoir of water, a major government-project will shortly be materialized to harness the lake-water for supplying drinking water and irrigation-water to the nearby tribal habitations and farm-lands that are chronically devoid of any viable source of water.  Tourists arriving at the lake would be shocked to witness the lake surroundings dotted with illegal Ganja Plantations, which presented an unseemly spectacle before their eyes. Although the Sub-Divisional Administration could not entirely clear the area off such plantations in its initial bid, it had however vowed to obliterate the remaining plantations soon, and with today’s operation, that pledge has been redeemed. Capitalizing on the porous, unfenced border of the Sub-Division, the Ganja grown in such plantations are smuggled across the international border through several rackets and intermediaries, engendering in the process a smuggling culture in Sonamura, ruining the cultural base of the Sub-Division, and pulling youths into the vortex of this illicit business by alluring them with prospects of earning easy money. Due to the resolute attempts of the Sub-Divisional Administration headed by the SDM Sonamura-Subhasis Das, there has of late been a declining trend, and the earlier reckless mafia culture in Sonamura has now been put under an effective leash. Recently, on the instruction of the Enforcement Branch of Police, a Sub-Divisional Committee was formed under the Chairmanship of SDM Sonamura to coordinate and oversee destruction operations of such illegal plantations. In the aftermath of formation of the Committee, relentless efforts have been undertaken to destroy such plantations all across the Sub-Division.

In another raid conducted close on the heels of the destruction operation, three houses were raided in Thalibari bazaar area by the SDM-Sonamura and BSF Dhanpur BOP Coy Commander Anil Ranwa, during which 4 sacks of dried Ganja weighing about 40 kg was recovered from an abandoned place behind the houses. The market value of dried ganja is about Rs.2 lakh. The seized Ganja has been retained in the custody of the Dhanpur BOP, and will later on be destroyed after obtaining approval of the Sepahijala district based Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Disposal Committee.