SHIMLA, JUNE 26: On the International 
Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Himachal Pradesh Government and Police celebrated what they described as the state's biggest-ever simultaneous destruction of seized narcotics, scientifically disposing of drugs worth ₹13.28 crore at 10 locations across the state.
Presiding over the event, Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant termed the exercise a powerful declaration of the government's "Zero Tolerance Policy" against drugs, while DGP Ashok Kumar Tewari asserted that Himachal Police would continue to pursue every link in the narcotics chain with determination and professionalism.
The operation, carried out under the Anti-Chitta People's Movement launched by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in November 2025, was projected as a major milestone in the campaign to make Himachal a "Drug-Free State."
However, while the destruction of seized narcotics makes for impressive optics and sends a strong message against drug trafficking, the real question remains unanswered: Has the anti-chitta campaign translated into convictions and dismantling of drug networks?
But the government didn't chose to disclose figures on the total number of arrests made under the NDPS Act, the quantity of drugs seized since the launch of the campaign, the number of charge sheets filed, or, more importantly, the number of convictions secured in courts.
For a state battling a growing drug menace that has spread from urban centres to remote villages, merely destroying seized contraband is only one part of the story.
The bigger measure of success lies in how many traffickers have been convicted, how many organised networks have been busted, how many kingpins have landed behind bars, and whether the flow of narcotics into Himachal has actually reduced.
Drug abuse continues to haunt hundreds of families across the state, particularly among the youth. Villages and towns in several districts have repeatedly reported increasing addiction cases, raising concerns that arrests of peddlers alone may not be enough to break the cycle.
The government's Anti-Chitta Day observance also included meetings of Drug Prevention Committees in vulnerable panchayats and anti-drug pledges in schools, colleges and government offices. While awareness campaigns are important, experts believe they must be backed by robust enforcement, speedy trials, rehabilitation facilities and measurable outcomes.
There is little doubt that destroying drugs worth ₹13.28 crore is a significant administrative exercise.
Yet, as the Sukhu government and Himachal Police celebrate the achievement, citizens would be justified in asking for the numbers that matter most: How many traffickers have been arrested? How many have been convicted? How many drug syndicates have been dismantled?
Until those figures are placed in the public domain, the fight against chitta may appear more successful in press releases than in courtrooms, where the battle against the drug mafia is ultimately won or lost.
