Golden triangle expansion, poppy cultivation in Manipur are major threats: Ex-CM
Agartala Nov 26: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has issued a fresh warning on the alarming advance of the Golden Triangle drug network into Indian territory.
He said its impact is now visibly etched across Manipur’s devastated forest landscapes.
In an X post, Singh said that vast stretches of land once covered with dense greenery have been reduced to barren tracts due to rampant poppy plantation.
He recalled that earlier alerts raised by his government about the Golden Triangle’s steady push toward India through Manipur were often met with skepticism, despite mounting evidence of forest loss tied to illicit cultivation.
Singh stressed that the consequences of ignoring those warnings are now in full view.
Citing recent findings, Singh said an aerial survey conducted on 24 November 2025 detected nearly 700 acres of thriving poppy fields in the Makhan Village hill ranges under the jurisdiction of Sapormeina Police Station in Kangpokpi district. The region lies within the Kanglatongbi-Kangpokpi Reserved Forest and is situated close to Mount Koubru, a revered pilgrimage site for Indigenous communities.
He warned that the expanding drug corridors, together with the rapid spread of poppy cultivation, pose a dual threat. These two are destroying valuable forest ecosystems and endangering culturally significant sites of Manipur.
The former Chief Minister acknowledged the extensive anti-narcotics drives currently being carried out by the state government in partnership with the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, Narcotics Control Bureau, Manipur Police and other agencies.
See this terrific forest land, once lush and alive, now turned into a desert by poppy planters.
Many people did not believe our government when we warned that the deadly drug corridor, the so called Golden Triangle, was expanding towards India through Manipur. Vast stretches of… pic.twitter.com/HMpObOfyTp
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) November 25, 2025
He credited these forces for their rigorous daily operations to destroy poppy fields across multiple regions. However, he noted that the scale of the illegal cultivation is so large that some areas demand massive manpower and multi-week campaigns to clear.
Biren Singh cautioned that the situation underscores the urgent need for intensified, sustained action to counter the growing influence of the Golden Triangle and protect Manipur’s environmental and cultural heritage.
