Over 19,000 acres of illegal poppy cultivation destroyed in Manipur since 2017: Report
Imphal (PTI): The Manipur government has destroyed a total of 19,135.6 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in at least 12 districts since 2017, according to an official report.
In Kangpokpi district, the highest of 4,454.4 acres were destroyed during the period, followed by 3,348 acres in Ukhrul and 2,713.8 acres in Churachandpur, the study – Mapping and Estimation of Opium Poppy Cultivation Area using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology – revealed.
The exercise was conducted by the Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre under the Planning Department, based on data provided by the ‘Narcotics and Affairs of Border’ wing of the state police.
The other districts where illegal poppy cultivation was destroyed include 2,575 acres in Tengnoupal, 1,982.5 acres in Chandel and 1,682 acres in Senapati, the report said.
It showed that the area under poppy cultivation in nine districts in 2021-22 was 28,598.91 acres, which declined to 11,288.1 acres in 2023-24.
Between 2023 and 2024, poppy cultivation decreased by 32.13 per cent compared to 2022-23, according to the study.
In a post on X, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had last month said the state government is committed in its resolve to eradicate illegal poppy cultivation in the northeastern state.
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 100th Saudi Pro League goal
Riyadh (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Saudi Pro League goal as Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 4-2 to move five points clear at the top of the table.
The 41-year-old forward converted a Sadio Mané cross at the near post with 15 minutes remaining to record the 971st goal of his career on Thursday. It was also his 26th league goal of the season.
“Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward and we saw that again today,” Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said.
João Félix, signed from Chelsea in July, scored three goals for the league leaders.
The win took Al-Nassr to 82 points from 32 games, five ahead of Al-Hilal, which has three matches, one more than Nassr, left to play. Al-Hilal meets Al-Kholood on Friday and faces Nassr on Tuesday in what could be a title decider against its Riyadh rival.
“Now we have a derby match against our rival, which is a difficult encounter,” Jesus said.
“We are fully aware of its importance, and we are dealing with it with complete focus as we know that small details could decide the result.”
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has yet to secure a major trophy in Saudi Arabia since signing with Al-Nassr in December 2022.
