which form part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the buffer zone
of the Silent Valley National Park have become major centres of ganja
(Cannabis sativa) cultivation.Investigators probing the seizure of
hashish valued at Rs.75 lakh from two persons near the Cochin
International Airport recently said the accused had admitted to
procuring the drug from the Attappady hills. Many other seizures and
arrest of persons involved in drug trafficking have been reported from
Attappady and other parts of the district.The forest areas bordering
Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Attappady and Nilgiri Hills are a
difficult terrain, most suited to ganja cultivation.
Hi-tech methods
Forest officials who conducted raids in Attappady recently stumbled
upon startling information on the use of latest bio-technology and
scientific processing techniques such as hormone treatment, drip
irrigation, high breed chemical fertilizers and pesticides for ganja
cultivation. They also got information on 'ganja oil' extraction units
set up by the 'ganja mafia' deep inside the forests.
High risk
In view of the high risk involved in transporting tonnes of dry ganja
from the forests to various parts of the country and abroad, drug
runners have resorted to extracting oil to smuggle out the killer
drug. There is also a method to collect stick juice, similar to
tapping of rubber, which are made into small balls.This stick juice
fetches high value and is used for smoking.
Abject poverty
According to an official document of the Forest Department
'Eradication of Ganja from Attappady,' "16 out of the 21 tribal
colonies in the Attappady range are notorious for ganja cultivation.
The tribesmen mostly work as labourers and transport agents. Faced
with abject poverty, it is a source of livelihood for them. There were
22 cases booked against tribesmen in the last five years. In two
instances, tribesmen are reported to have attacked Forest officials
during raids. The tribesmen are slowly won over by the ganja mafia."
The forest areas of Galazi, Thudukki, Korakunda and the
Nilambur-Kalikavu areas are the traditional ganja cultivating areas in
the Attappady and Nilgiri forests, sources in the Forest Department
said.The Forest Department that claimed to have eradicated ganja from
the Attappady forests had stopped raids for the last two years.This
was cited as a major reason for the cultivation of ganja in the
Attappady-Nilgiri areas on Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
THE HINDU, June 18
No comments:
Post a Comment