Boudh: Odisha’s Boudhagada district, once known for its peaceful character, has in recent years gained notoriety for illegal cannabis cultivation and trafficking, with the growing menace now posing a serious threat to its forests and fragile ecosystem.
Every year, between November and February, police, excise and forest department personnel are engaged in extensive operations to identify and destroy illegal cannabis plantations across the district. According to district police data, illegal cannabis cultivation was detected and destroyed across nearly 10,000 acres in different police station jurisdictions in 2024. The figure rose by 50 per cent to 15,000 acres in 2025. With the annual eradication drive already underway, another 2,000 acres had been cleared as of November 5 this year. Officials expect the area cleared to touch 10,000 acres by the end of the month. The figures point to Boudh’s growing emergence as a hotspot for illegal cannabis cultivation, raising serious concerns over the scale and spread of the illicit trade in the district.
Of particular concern is the growing use of forest areas for illegal cultivation, with their remote and inaccessible terrain offering growers a degree of concealment. This has made cannabis cultivation a significant contributor to forest degradation in the district, with potentially far-reaching environmental consequences.
The steady depletion of forest cover is taking a toll on the district’s ecological balance. Boudhagada has also been recording new highs in maximum temperatures year after year, fuelling concerns over the environmental consequences of rampant deforestation.
The figures highlight the scale of the challenge. While 25,000 acres of illegal cannabis cultivation were identified and destroyed in 2024 and 2025, only 2,000 acres had been cleared in the current drive as of November 5, raising concerns that large tracts may still be escaping detection.
During his November 5 visit to Boudh, Inspector General of Police Himanshu Lal called for strengthening the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and held a joint meeting with the police, district administration, excise and forest departments to chalk out a coordinated strategy to rid Boudh and Odisha of illegal narcotics. The initiative is in line with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s target of making India drug-free by March 2029. An additional five platoons of police personnel have reportedly been deployed to intensify the crackdown.
However, officials and environmental observers stress that destroying illegal plantations alone will not suffice. Systematic afforestation and ecological restoration of the cleared land, particularly in forest areas, are equally essential to reversing environmental damage, restoring forest cover and maintaining ecological balance.
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