Ranchi, Feb 3 (IANS): A joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the police destroyed opium planted on 90 acres of land under the Chauparan police station area in Hazaribagh district on Friday.

More than a dozen tractors and JCB machines were used in the operation.

Hazaribagh SP Manoj Ratan Chothe has directed to identify the people involved in the illegal farming of opium and register FIRs against them.

Significantly, about a month ago in the same area, the police had trampled opium crop planted in about 75 acres of land.

The SP said that all police stations have been instructed to destroy the crop and take strict legal action on receiving information about opium cultivation anywhere in the region.

Barhi's SDPO Nazir Akhtar, CRPF 22 Battalion's Assistant Commandant Sanjeev Kumar, Barhi women's police station in-charge Sweety Kumari, among others, were involved in the operation to destroy the cultivated field on Friday.

It is being said that opium is being secretly cultivated in a large area of Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary in Chauparan.

Sources have said that opium is being cultivated in the forested areas of Duragara, Moraniya, Sikda, Karga, Dhodhiya and Pathalgara, among other areas, in Chauparan.