Shimla tops with 51 cases as Himachal Pradesh records 305 'chitta' seizures

Himachal Pradesh is grappling with a sharp surge in heroin-related cases, as the synthetic drug, commonly known as chitta, continues to tighten its grip on the hill state. Police data from the first quarter of 2025 reveals a disturbing spike in narcotics activity, prompting urgent calls for stricter laws and coordinated action.

According to a report by The Tribune, between January and March this year, state authorities seized 3.79 kg of heroin — nearly a kilogram more than the 2.72 kg recovered during the same period in 2024. This marks a 27 per cent rise in heroin seizures, underlining the growing menace that has infiltrated both urban and rural belts.

In total, 597 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during this period, a significant jump from 463 cases last year. Of these, 305 specifically involved heroin seizures, as per The Tribune report.

Police officials attributed the rise in heroin seizures to enhanced border vigilance and targeted crackdowns. Most of the narcotic influx, they said, originates in small consignments from neighbouring states including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir.

Shimla led the tally with 51 chitta-related cases, followed by Mandi (42), Kangra (36) and Bilaspur (32). While districts such as Una and Sirmaur reported 23 cases each, the tribal regions of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti remained untouched — with Lahaul-Spiti notably not recording a single heroin seizure in the past decade, The Tribune reported.

Besides heroin, police also seized a large cache of other narcotics: 102.1 kg of charas (up from 74.64 kg in Q1 of 2024), 3.79 kg of opium, 46.98 kg of poppy husk, 5,260 poppy plants, 7.5 kg of ganja and 2.07 gm of smack — an overall increase in the volume of illicit substances intercepted this year.

Authorities have begun invoking the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PIT-NDPS Act) to detain habitual offenders. Several interstate drug trafficking networks have also been dismantled, police confirmed.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, while addressing the Assembly recently, announced that the government will soon introduce a Bill with harsher provisions to curb the spread of chitta, PTI reported. “The drug menace has to be fought on a war footing,” Agnihotri said, responding to a Private Member resolution by Congress MLA Kewal Singh Pathania.

The PIT-NDPS Act is already being enforced in the state, allowing authorities to detain suspects in drug trade for up to six months without trial.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had earlier claimed a 30 per cent reduction in chitta consumption over the past three years, though the latest seizure data suggests the supply chain remains robust.

According to PTI, BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur described the situation as “rengta Himachal” during the Assembly session, drawing a bleak parallel with Udta Punjab, the 2016 film that spotlighted Punjab’s drug crisis.

Pathania, in his resolution, called for zero tolerance on the issue and demanded more funds for sports initiatives to help divert youth from addiction. BJP’s Trilok Jamwal also raised concerns over the effectiveness of the current measures and voiced his opposition to any moves promoting cannabis cultivation.