Imphal: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday claimed that a recent aerial survey had detected nearly 700 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in Kangpokpi district.
Singh said the findings highlight extensive forest destruction in the area and warned that such environmental damage poses a serious threat to the state’s ecological balance and cultural heritage. He stressed that the situation demands intensified and immediate action.
“Many people did not believe our government when we warned that the deadly drug corridor, the so-called Golden Triangle, was expanding towards India through Manipur. Vast stretches of forest had already begun to disappear under mass poppy cultivation, yet these warnings were often ignored,” Singh said in a post on X.
Singh said that the “present government, along with Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, NCB, Manipur Police and all other concerned authorities, is doing commendable work by destroying poppy fields across multiple regions every single day.”
He stated, “Their coordinated effort deserves full appreciation. But the challenge is still enormous. Certain areas, like the one shown in this video, require huge manpower and month long campaigns to eradicate poppy cultivation permanently.”
Singh said an aerial survey conducted on November 24, 2025, detected nearly 700 acres of poppy cultivation in the Makhan village hill ranges under the jurisdiction of Sapormeina Police Station in Kangpokpi district.
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He said the entire zone lies within the Kanglatongbi Kangpokpi Reserved Forest and is also close to Mount Koubru, a sacred site deeply revered by the Indigenous people as a holy pilgrimage site.
“The scale of destruction of our forests and the threat to our cultural heritage is real. This is why continued, intensified action is absolutely necessary,” the former chief minister stated.
