Imphal: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has raised concerns over illegal poppy cultivation and forest degradation in Kangpokpi district.
In a recent social media broadcast, Singh shared visuals that he said showed poppy plantations spread across about 500 acres of forestland around Koubru Peak.
The areas shown in the footage fall under the KK Reserve Forest, the proposed Koubru Forest and the Leimakhong-Irang Protected Forest, according to Singh.
The video also compared images of forest cover around Baleijang from 2023, before the conflict, with the area’s current condition in 2026.
Singh said forest reserves were being damaged as new poppy cultivation sites emerged. He also said unchecked deforestation could affect Manipur’s environment and future generations.
Singh has appealed to the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to intervene and take steps to address the situation.