The Himachal Pradesh government has adopted a twin-pronged approach to eradicate the drug menace, even as it identified 234 Panchayats severely affected by chitta (heroin) abuse and trafficking, categorising them under the ‘red zone’.

Under its ‘anti-chitta’ model, the State government has clamped down on drug traffickers while simultaneously focusing on the rehabilitation of victims affected by substance abuse. As a part of its strategy, not only drug traffickers but also drug abuse patterns were mapped at the panchayat level.

Himachal Pradesh has become the first State in the country to identify drug addicts and traffickers at the village level and categorised areas into red, yellow and green zones based on the cases of heroin in the panchayats, said a government spokesperson on Thursday.

The model launched by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is now drawing attention from across the country. The regional office of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has sought a detailed report from the State government to study the model and explore its implementation in other States for more effective action against the drug menace, said the spokesperson.

As part of this strategy, the government invoked the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act and detained 174 offenders under its provisions, propelling Himachal Pradesh to the top position in the country in terms of stringent action taken under the law, said the statement.

Illegal properties worth ₹51 crore belonging to drug peddlers have been confiscated, three times higher than the seizures recorded during the previous government’s tenure. Also, more than 700 cases have been probed so far, with around 300 cases found fit for financial investigation and property seizure proceedings. The State government’s comprehensive and multi-dimensional approach to tackling the drug menace has drawn attention as a model worth emulating, with Himachal Pradesh emerging as a frontrunner in the national fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse, it added.