EAGLE Force seizes around 8,000 kg ganja across Telangana since January

Hyderabad, August 25: Drug abuse cannot be tackled through enforcement alone and requires the collective participation of society, said K. Narayana Reddy, IPS, DCP, Maheshwaram Zone, on Tuesday.

He was speaking at ‘VARTA’, a media workshop on the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) – Drug Free India Campaign, organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Hyderabad, at Maheshwaram in Ranga Reddy district.

The programme was inaugurated by K. Narayana Reddy, along with Ravula Giridhar, IPS, Superintendent of Police, EAGLE Force, Dr. Manas Krishnakanth, Joint Director, PIB Hyderabad, and N. Sharadhamma, MPDO, Maheshwaram.

DCP Narayana Reddy said Telangana has specialised forces such as SID, OCTOPUS, CISL and the EAGLE Force, along with the local police, working to curb drug trafficking and related threats. He stressed that prevention must begin at the family, educational institution and community levels.

He urged parents, students and peers to remain vigilant and share timely information to prevent drug abuse among youth. Protecting young people from substance abuse, he said, was not only a law-and-order priority but also essential for safeguarding their health, skills and productivity.

EAGLE Force steps up crackdown

Speaking at the awareness session, Ravula Giridhar, IPS, SP, EAGLE Force, said drug abuse had evolved into a serious social, law-and-order and national-security challenge requiring coordinated efforts from all stakeholders.

He said the EAGLE Force had seized around 8,000 kg of ganja across Telangana since January. More than 30,000 police personnel and officials from other departments have also been trained through around 22 types of training programmes, he added.

Giridhar underlined the important role of the media in creating awareness, preventing stigma and encouraging rehabilitation. He appealed to journalists to report drug-related cases accurately and sensitively, particularly by protecting the identity of minors and avoiding unnecessary disclosure of personal details.

Earlier, Dr. Manas Krishnakanth, Joint Director, PIB Hyderabad, said drug abuse was no longer merely an individual or family concern but had emerged as a serious social, law-and-order and national-security challenge. He said the VARTA workshop was aimed at equipping journalists with accurate information and responsible reporting practices to support the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

Journalists interacted with the speakers and raised queries on operational issues, rehabilitation services and reporting of drug-related cases.

Smt. Varganti Gayatri, Media and Communication Officer, PIB Hyderabad, moderated the proceedings. Around 60 media representatives and local stakeholders from Maheshwaram and surrounding areas of Ranga Reddy district participated in the workshop.