NORTH LAKHIMPUR, April 5 - Dhakuwakhona, known for its exotic muga silk, is in news again for all the wrong reasons � thanks to the discovery of a large poppy plantation camouflaged by surrounding ahoo rice plantations in a remote riverine area.
The plantation site was discovered accidentally by Bipul Gogoi, a local journalist working for a vernacular news channel while browsing Google Earth on Monday. While browsing Google Earth about Dhakuwakhona, Gogoi spotted a flowery bed amidst a green patch of land of ahoo rice in the Bogoriguri Chapori on the banks of the Champora river under Mornoi-Bebejia Gaon Panchayat in Dhakuwakhona subdivision of Lakhimpur district.
The following day he visited the site and took photos which were later proved to be that of poppy plants with flower. On Wednesday, a team of police led by Officer-in-Charge of Ghilamoroa PS Naren Sonowal visited the site and collected specimens of the plants. After preliminary investigation, it was learnt that the plantations have been made on the agricultural land belonging to one Basanta Saikia of Mornoi-Bebejia where a group of men from West Bengal planted the poppy seeds.
It has also been learnt that the planters have already extracted the fluids from the poppy plants to be used in making narcotics worth several lakhs of rupees.
