The Jammu Kashmir administration has declared five villages of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district as ‘drug-free’ villages.
This claim has been made by the police and district administration. These villages are Dandoosa, Bonen, Hardwail, Naroo and Khag.
The government said that these villages have achieved 100% drug-free status with the concerted efforts of the District Administration.
Local sources told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that various awareness programs were conducted in these villages and in order to make these villages drug-free, cooperation from the civil society, and respectable villagers was sought who played a key role in creating awareness about the harmful effect of drug abuse.
Pertinently, last year, police arrested at least 123 persons in cases related to the drug trade in Budgam district. The official data reveals that 69 cases had been registered by police in different police stations of Budgam last year against the drug peddlers. [KNT]