Nangarhar poppy eradication drive to be launched soon: Official

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Counternarcotics directorate said on Tuesday that poppy cultivated on more than 18,000 acres of land in 13 districts of eastern Nangarhar province would be eradicated this week.

The exact figures of poppy cultivated on land could not be asertained but officials noted that the growth of illicit crop registered record surge as compared to last year.

Muhammad Idrees Sapi, director counternarcotics, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Our survey is yet to be completed but the cultivation of the illicit crop is much more than past year,” he recalled. 

He added poppy had been planted in 13 remote districts of the province, where they were planning to eradicate them.

He said: “We have implemented welfare projects in the areas cleared of poppy. We will implement projects worth $220,000 in those areas under poppy crop after erdicating the crop.”

Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the governo’rs spokesman, said that local administration had been tasked to launch campain agianst poppy eradication.

hs/rm