700 acres of illegal poppy cultivation uncovered in Manipur’s reserved forests: Ex-CM Biren Singh

Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday claimed that a recent aerial survey has revealed nearly 700 acres of illicit poppy cultivation in Kangpokpi district. 

Singh warned that the expanding spread of poppy fields has caused widespread destruction of forests and poses a grave threat to the state’s cultural heritage, stressing that intensified counter-narcotics efforts are urgently needed.

In a post on X, Singh said many had dismissed earlier warnings issued during his government’s tenure about the expansion of the “deadly drug corridor” of the Golden Triangle towards India through Manipur. He said vast tracts of forest land had been steadily disappearing under mass poppy cultivation, yet these alerts were often overlooked.

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Singh acknowledged what he described as the “commendable work” of the present government in coordination with the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, NCB, Manipur Police and other agencies, who he said are destroying poppy fields across several regions on a daily basis. However, he cautioned that the scale of the problem remains immense, noting that some areas will require substantial manpower and sustained, month-long operations to eradicate poppy cultivation permanently.

Sharing aerial footage of the illegal cultivation, Singh said the survey conducted on November 24, 2025 detected close to 700 acres of poppy fields in the Makhan village hill ranges under Sapormeina Police Station in Kangpokpi district. He added that the stretch falls within the Kanglatongbi–Kangpokpi Reserved Forest and lies in proximity to Mount Koubru, a sacred pilgrimage site revered by Indigenous communities.

Singh reiterated that the level of forest destruction and the cultural threats emerging from large-scale illicit cultivation are “real,” emphasising that continued and intensified action is “absolutely necessary” to protect Manipur’s ecological and cultural integrity.