Bhubaneswar: With Naxalism projected to be eradicated by the end of this month, Odisha police have set an ambitious plan to eliminate ganja cultivation across the state by March 2029.DGP Y B Khurania said cannabis was grown in LWE-affected regions, but the sharp decline in insurgent activities has enabled police to reclaim these areas.“We will launch a three-year-long special drive — from April 1, 2026 till March 31, 2029 — to make Odisha drugs free, targetting ganja, brown sugar and other narcotics. Areas where the Naxal menace once posed hurdles are now easily accessible, boosting our anti-ganja campaign,” Khurania said on Friday, while felicitating SPs of several districts for their crackdown on cultivators and traffickers.Odisha has long been considered a source state for ganja trafficking, with consignments intercepted en-route to states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Sources said Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of cannabis users, followed by Punjab, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Delhi.Ganja cultivation once spread across the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati, Boudh, Kandhamal, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Bargarh and Balangir. With the decline in LWE activities, cultivation is now confined to six districts — Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati, Boudh, and Kandhamal — of which Kandhamal and Boudh remain the most affected.According to Khurania, in 2024, cannabis cultivation over 21,008 acres was destroyed, rising to 29,493 acres in 2025. Between Jan 1, 2025 and Feb 28, 2026, cannabis plants worth Rs 1,444 crore were destroyed, dealing a major blow to smugglers.Police said harvesting takes place between Nov and March, with each acre accommodating 800 to 1,500 plants. A single plant yields at least 500 grams of ganja. The black market price of raw ganja in other states ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh per kg depending on quality, while cultivators in Odisha sell at Rs 3,000-8,000/kg.
