Kathmandu, May 7

Marijuana cultivation, which is rampant in other parts of the country, is also gaining ground in the Kathmandu Valley.

The Narcotics Control Bureau, in association with local police, destroyed weeds cultivated in over 1,100 ropanis of land at Chilaune, Okhreni and Mulkharka of Gokarneshwor Municipality. Officials also confiscated 1,300 kilograms of marijuana.

DIGP Jaya Bahadur Chand, NCB in-charge, said marijuana cultivation had been gaining ground on the outskirts of the Valley and the law enforcement agency was doing utmost to destroy the farms and deter the drug traders from smuggling the contraband abroad.

The NCB has already destroyed marijuana plants in more than 300 ropanis of land in the Valley over a period of two years. Whenever police get information about marijuana cultivation, they destroy the crops and take action against the guilty. According to DIGP Chand, drug traffickers are directly or indirectly involved in cannabis cultivation.

Similarly, the NCB has destroyed cannabis cultivation in around 300 hectares of land in other districts like Makwanpur, Ramechhap, Udayapur, Dhankuta, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Bara, Parsa and Chitwan during the same period.

In some instances, the officials had to face organised resistance of the villagers. The locals pelted stones at a police team as the cops were destroying illegal marijuana plantation in ward no 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Namatar VDC, Makwanpur last December. Police had to fire 17 rounds in the air to take the situation under control.

Clandestine cultivation of cannabis cultivation is rampant elsewhere in the country, as it provides the farmers with better returns than other food crops.