Imphal, May 5 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday said that 877 square km of forest cover in the northeastern state were destroyed in 34 years (1987-2021), primarily for the illegal cultivation of poppy, which has been used to manufacture various drugs.

Singh, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that forest cover in Manipur was 17,475 sq km in 1987 and in 2021, it was destroyed to 16,598 sq km, primarily for the cultivation of poppy.

The eviction of unauthorised encroachers carried out ever since the BJP government led by him came to power in Manipur in 2017 and 291 encroachers were evicted from the Reserve Forest and Protected Forest throughout the state, the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

It was never targeted towards any particular community, the Chief Minister pointed out.

Singh earlier said that the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar led to the emergence of 996 new villages in the state in the past 18 years.

He had said that between 2006 and 2024, massive deforestation occurred to establish settlements and carry out poppy plantations while these illegal immigrants started encroaching on the resources, job opportunities, land, and rights of the indigenous people.

/IANS