ZANSKAR: Deputy Commissioner Zanskar Omkar Rajendra Gundage, IAS, has called for coordinated enforcement, intensified surveillance and wider community intervention to curb drug trafficking and substance abuse in the district, following a review that noted three cases registered under the NDPS Act and four arrests so far.
Gundage issued the directions while chairing the third District Narcotics Coordination Committee (NCORD) meeting in Zanskar, attended by senior police, health, education, social welfare, agriculture, forest and Army representatives.
Superintendent of Police, Zanskar, and Member Secretary of the committee, Rigzin Sangdup, JKPS, briefed the Deputy Commissioner on enforcement measures undertaken by the district police and the growing concern over substance abuse among youth in Ladakh.
According to the police briefing, Police Station Zanskar has registered three cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, in which four persons have been arrested. Two cases have also been registered under the Excise Act, resulting in two arrests.
The committee directed all concerned departments to work closely with the Police Department to share intelligence, track possible drug-trafficking trends and establish forward and backward linkages during investigations to identify wider networks and those allegedly involved in trafficking.
Concerned departments were also asked to maintain strict vigilance against any illicit cultivation of poppy or cannabis in Zanskar and initiate appropriate action wherever such activity is detected.
The police were directed to intensify surveillance and enforcement, conduct regular field verification in vulnerable areas and identify users and peddlers for action under the NDPS Act.
The meeting also placed emphasis on preventive intervention, with the Police, Health, Social Welfare and Education departments asked to intensify awareness programmes under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan in schools and colleges. Students and teachers will be involved in the campaign, along with religious leaders, social organisations and village Nambardars.
The Chief Medical Officer, Zanskar, was advised to organise health camps across schools and colleges to facilitate identification and prevention of substance use among students.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Medical Officer, Zanskar; Zone Education Officer; Child Development Project Officer; Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer; and representatives of the Forest Department and Army, among others. Gundage stressed the need for sustained coordination among enforcement agencies, government departments and community stakeholders to address substance abuse and trafficking and strengthen efforts towards a drug-free Zanskar.
