Green Clean Mission: 42 acres of ganja cultivation worth Rs 8 crore destroyed in Odisha's Gajapati

In a crackdown against the cultivation and sale of cannabis (ganja) in the state, a joint force of police and Excise department teams raided and destroyed the illegal crops in the Gajapati district of Odisha on Sunday.

Sources said that authorities received information about illegal cannabis being grown on a hill near Pengam village under the Bada Sindhaba panchayat of Mohana police limits.

Acting on the input, over 100 personnel from the police and Excise department conducted the raid and destroyed the entire batch of crops estimated to be worth Rs 8 crore and spread approximately 42 acres by burning it.

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The incident marked yet instance of illegal cannabis (ganja) cultivation being raided and destroyed in Odisha after recent similar actions in Adaba and R. Udayagiri police limits.

Action against illegal cannabis cultivation has gathered steam following the Odisha government’s plans to eradicate the practice in the state by 2026 under its ‘Green Clean’ campaign.

A few weeks ago, a joint state task force concluded a significant operation where they eradicated over 10 acres of cannabis cultivation in the Digapahandi area of Ganjam district.

Coincidentally, around the same time, another 62 acres of forest land in Subarnapur district were also cleared of cannabis plants.

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Although the most recent figures have not been released, last reports indicated that authorities had seized over 3,500 kilograms of cannabis, arrested 80 individuals, confiscated Rs 15 lakh in cash, and impounded more than 20 vehicles involved in the illegal trade during various operations under the 'Green Clean Mission'.