Women take to night patrol in Himachal's Bilaspur to fight chitta menace

Bilaspur (HP): In the dead of the winter night, groups of women, holding torches and wielding sticks, step out of their cosy homes to patrol the silent streets of their village Laghat. In their crosshairs are gangs trafficking adulterated heroin, known locally as chitta.

Laghat village, which falls under the Bilaspur Sadar assembly segment, connects the Bairi Rajadian panchayat with the Barmana industrial area. The area sees heavy vehicle movement round-the-clock, making it an easy transit route for drug peddlers, the women said.

Braving cold winter nights, the women, wrapped in shawls and wielding torches and sticks, step out in small groups to patrol village streets. They keep a close watch on passersby and question anyone found suspicious.

The patrol groups comprise women aged between 25 and 50, all members of the Laghat Mahila Mandal. They are on roads every night, determined to protect their children from the menace of drugs.

"Our aim is to apprehend drug traffickers and ensure the village remains safe," said Mahila Mandal head Pinky Sharma on Monday. "Drug addiction destroys not just an individual but families, and society as a whole. Community participation, along with the police and administration, is essential." She said, "If we find anyone suspicious, we will stop them and inform the police". The women asserted that there is no place in the village for drug dealers or those who shelter them, and warned that stricter measures would be taken if required.

Anju Sharma, a member of the group, said a newly built link road has increased the movement of outsiders at night, which traffickers exploit to lure young people. The campaign has received full support from villagers.

Several residents have joined the women on these night patrols, while others keep watch over other people entering and leaving the village and report suspicious activity to the Mahila Mandal or the police. Villagers said failure to act firmly now would lead to serious consequences in future.

Bilaspur SP Sandeep Dhawal praised the initiative and assured full police support. "The women are doing excellent work. They will receive full cooperation from the police in this endeavour. Those involved in selling or consuming drugs will not be spared," he said.

Himachal Pradesh is grappling with the spread of dangerous drugs such as chitta which has claimed many young lives. The government, police, panchayats and local communities are working together combat the menace.

Chitta, or diacetylmorphine, is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from heroin and is highly addictive and lethal. Overdose can be fatal, former director of the State Forensic Science Laboratory Arun Sharma said.

Police earlier said the drug costs between Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000 per gram. Its high profit margins have led many drug peddlers to switch to chitta, with network increasingly involved students.