Manipur: Drone survey detects 13 hectares of poppy cultivation; forest loss hits 21,100 hectares

Imphal: The Manipur Government, during a drone survey, detected approximately 13 hectares of forest area that had been cleared for poppy cultivation, with some patches already sown with poppy in the northern Senapati district, which shares a border with Nagaland.

According to the Manipur Police morning bulletin issued on Wednesday, the survey was conducted with the assistance of Forest Department officials and the cooperation of the Chairman of Khabung village.

The aerial drone survey covered Upper and Lower Khabung villages under the Senapati Police Station in the Senapati district.

Nearly 13 hectares of forest land were found to have been cleared for poppy cultivation, with some areas already sown with poppy.

A stern warning was issued to the village Chairman to destroy the sown poppy and to prevent any further cultivation.

This initiative was taken in light of the beginning of the poppy sowing season, which runs from September to April in the state.

The government has directed that any identified areas under poppy cultivation must be destroyed immediately, in accordance with standard operating procedures and with the assistance of the district administration, police, Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB), and paramilitary forces.

Officials stated that Manipur has experienced significant forest land loss, with a space analytics firm reporting that 52,000 acres (21,100 hectares) were lost between 2021 and 2025 due to poppy cultivation, illegal logging, shifting (jhum) cultivation, infrastructure projects, and climate change.

The National Green Tribunal is also addressing the issue, noting a reduction in forest cover from 1987 to 2021, primarily due to deforestation and opium cultivation.