Himachal Pradesh has launched a sweeping and aggressive crackdown on narcotics, positioning itself as a front-runner in the nationwide war on drugs.
(Representational Image: iStock)
Himachal Pradesh has launched a sweeping and aggressive crackdown on narcotics, positioning itself as a front-runner in the nationwide war on drugs.
A government spokesperson said on Sunday that in the past two and a half years, the state has registered 5,004 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and seized illegal assets worth ₹36.95 crore, sending a stern message to drug traffickers and criminal syndicates.
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“The rise in synthetic drug abuse, especially heroin, MDMA, and Tramadol, has spurred urgent action, particularly in districts bordering pharmaceutical hubs,” the spokesperson said.
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“The government responded swiftly by placing anti-drug measures at the top of its agenda and adopting a zero-tolerance policy.”
To bolster the legal framework, two critical laws were introduced. The Himachal Pradesh Organized Crime (Prevention and Control) Bill provides for stringent punishments, including the death penalty, life imprisonment, and property confiscation.
The HP Drugs and Controlled Substances (Prevention, De-addiction, and Rehabilitation) Bill focuses on prevention, awareness, rehabilitation, and livelihood creation. It also proposes the establishment of a state fund to support de-addiction efforts, modeled after best practices from Sikkim.
Ground-level enforcement has matched legislative efforts. In 2024, the state began applying Preventive Detention under the PIT-NDPS Act.
Of 123 proposals, 41 detention orders were issued against repeat offenders and major peddlers. Authorities also targeted internal lapses, booking 80 government employees for drug-related offences.
A state-wide crackdown identified 1,214 illegal properties linked to drug activities. Authorities have acted on 70 encroachments, initiating eviction and demolition proceedings. Assets worth ₹4.87 crore were seized in 2023, ₹25.42 crore in 2024, and ₹6.66 crore till June 2025. An additional ₹7.74 crore is under confirmation.
In March 2025, the state established a Special Task Force (STF) with zones in Dharamshala, Mandi, and Parwanoo, focusing on high-risk areas like Kullu, Una, Sirmaur, and Baddi. Thirteen police stations fall under STF jurisdiction, with six already operational.
Rehabilitation forms a key component of the strategy. De-addiction centres are operational in Kullu, Una, Hamirpur, and Kangra. A women-specific facility is run by the Red Cross in Kullu, and a state-of-the-art, 100-bed centre is under construction at Kotla Barog in Sirmaur, with more planned across districts.
Starting next academic year, drug abuse awareness will be integrated into school curricula. On the health front, 14 Targeted Intervention Projects for injecting drug users are being run under the State AIDS Control Society with NACO’s support, offering clean needles, counselling, and ART linkage.
Between 2023 and June 2025, law enforcement seized 919 kg of charas, 32.9 kg of heroin, 1,632 kg of poppy husk, 89.6 kg of opium, over 1.64 lakh banned tablets and capsules, and nearly 70 lakh cannabis plants were destroyed.
The state is also using ward-wise mapping to categorize addicts and peddlers into red, yellow, and green zones for targeted interventions and recovery efforts. “With this bold and multidimensional strategy, Himachal Pradesh is not just fighting drugs but is working to defeat them for good,” the spokesperson asserted.
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