Tourists planning to fill up theirlungs with high-quality hash set TO be disappointed as crops in Himachal have been damaged by incessant rains
Tourists planning to fill up their lungs with high-quality hash setu00a0to be disappointed as crops in Himachal have been damaged by incessant rains
If infrastructural and procedural delays were not enough bad news, the Commonwealth Games are set to face yet another low. Widespread damage to the world's best hash - the malana cream - produced in the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh would ensure there is no high for the visiting tourists, literally as well.
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| u00a0Representative photo |
Weed farmers in the hill state, who had sown cannabis on a whopping 15,000 to 20,000 bighas of land, were expecting a bumper crop of 50 metric tonnes and were sure that the tourist inflow for the Commonwealth Games would provide them with a ready clientele.
However, incessant rains in the hills have not only flooded Delhi and threatened Games preparations but also damaged the hash crop. Sources in Himachal say due to rains the harvesting period has got delayed and best quality hash will be available in the market only after November, and that too, if doesn't rain in October.
"The best hash is harvested during the pre-flowering period.It has been raining continuously for the past two months. Flowering has got delayed. Charas harvesting needs 5-10 sunny days. So obviously, the supply will be hit," said OP Sharma, former Himachal top cop and chief of state Narcotics Control Bureau.
It generally takes around 15 days for the hash crop to be transported to Delhi from Himachal due to the perishable nature of the weed.
"So far what is being supplied is charas from the low-lying areas which is poor in quality. Good charas crop needs a dry spell during harvesting," said another state official. No exact estimate was available as to the extent of the damage to the crop.
Also, with the Himachal government planning a crackdown the best quality hash will become a rarity.
Major cultivation of weed is done in the districts of Mandi, Kullu and Chamba.
However, the government was non-committal on whether the weed was to be supplied for the Games.
I D Bhandari, ADGP,u00a0 Himachal Pradesh, Crime and Intelligence, told MiD DAY: "We have not received any such intelligence inputs so far. Also, it has not come to our notice that charas is being supplied for the CWG."
When asked about the recent arrests by Kullu police, he said, "I am not aware of any such incident."
| Holy smoke |
| Cannabis is used for making ropes, purses, chappals and clothes in remote areas of Himachal. Cannabis seed is used for making various popular dishes like sidku.
It is also mixed with puffed rice as a welcome dish for guests in the remote hilly areas. |
| Growth story |
| Cannabis sativa grows wild almost everywhere in the Indian sub-continent and special strains have been particularly cultivated for production of 'ganja' and hash, particularly in West Bengal, Rajasthan and the Himalayas.
No reports of a statistical linkage between hashish and violent crime have been found. so far. |
