Sunday, 27 November 2022 | PNS | HARIDWAR
Considering the continued alarming rise in substance abuse in Haridwar district and the State government’s plan to make Uttarakhand ‘drugs-free’ by 2025, the senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh has initiated a new campaign to address the issue and raise public awareness on it. As part of this campaign, chaupals (public meets) will be organised at the level of police station and village/locality. This gathering will be held with locals every Saturday in the identified village or locality from 4 PM to 7 PM. The aim of this interaction is to exchange information with the locals about substance abuse, learning from the experiences of the locals and also taking suggestions from the public to tackle the menace.
Since taking over charge in Haridwar district, SSP Ajai Singh has stepped up action against the smuggling of illegal drugs. To further enhance public awareness, 17 villages and localities have been identified by the police where the chaupals will be held. Initially, the public meets will be held for a 15- day duration and if the response is positive the duration will be extended. Singh participated in such public meets held on Saturday in Jwalapur, Khanpur, Laksar and Bhagwanpur. Sharing his views with the locals, he appealed to the public to stay away from substance abuse.
It is pertinent to mention here that hard drugs like smack and pharmaceutical drugs are frequently smuggled from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to various parts of Uttarakhand. With Haridwar bordering Uttar Pradesh, the influx of the contraband and the resulting substance abuse has also increased considerably in the district.
