Cultivation of illegal cannabis flourishing in Coochbehar

SILIGURI: Paddy, wheat or jute, almost all got replaced in agri fields by cannabis and that too, illegal. This is at many places in Coochbehar district of northern part of West Bengal. Vantage location of the district on infamous ' Siliguri Corridor' has made cannabis cultivation a lucrative option there.

At different places in the district like Habibhat, Paglahat or Chhatrasal, people are utilizing riverbeds or own kitchen garden too to grow cannabis . "Incidental better cropping of tobacco, another major produce of the district, in any particular year, pulls down the interest towards cannabis for subsequent two three years. But it goes up again by three four years," said Sunil Modak, an old farmer in Putimari village.

Coochbehar now hosts, estimated, over 10 crore sq ft of agri land under cannabis cultivation. In addition, illegally encroached river beds, backyards at residential areas, or even kitchen garden lands are used for illegal cannabis growing. A whole chain from cultivation to merchandising through infamous 'Siliguri Corridor' runs here -accepted many senior police officials.

According to the 'Narco-trafficking' experts of intelligence, the 300 km stretch of NH 31 from river Sankosh in Assam Bengal Border of Coochbehar District to Islampore of North Dinajpore Dt. at Bengal Bihar border via Jalpaiguri District and Siliguri, is known as the 'Siliguri Corridor.' With Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh at close proximity within 100 km, this is a golden rout for the traffickers to get access to global market through Bhutan, Nepal or Bangladesh.

Md. Muqudool Alam, who happened to be a cannabis cultivator even in last year told ET, "It is for better returns only. Fertilizer price had gone up many folds. Without any irrigation water or quality seeds we don't get better production of any crop.

But even with a very poor rate of production, cannabis gives near Rs 5 Lakh in return per 15,000 sq ft of land. Most importantly, the unknown buyers collect the crop with cash payment.

"Police regularly seize and destroy several truckloads of matured cannabis . As a standard practice, plants are uprooted and burnt out right in the field itself," said senior police officials. But the practice continues at remote corners of the district- they agreed.