Context: Manipur recorded a 32.13% decline in poppy cultivation during 2023-24, as per a report by the Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MARSAC).
About Poppy Cultivation:
- Extent of Cultivation:
- Declined from 28,598.91 acres in 2021-22 to 11,288.1 acres in 2023-24.
- Major districts with eradication operations: Kangpokpi (4,454.4 acres), Ukhrul (3,348 acres), Churachandpur (2,713.8 acres).
- Eradication Efforts:
- Between 2017 and January 2024, 19,135.6 acres of poppy plantations were destroyed.
Relevance in UPSC Syllabus:
- Governance and Policy: Case study of effective anti-drug policies and law enforcement strategies.
- Ethics and Society: Highlights the intersection of illegal activities, social justice, and environmental degradation.
- Geography and Security: Links to border areas and drug trafficking routes, critical for security studies.
