Anti-Drug Cycle Rally Reaches Srikakulam
Visakhapatnam: The ‘Abhyudayam Cycle Yatra – Pedal for a Drug-Free Future’ started its journey from Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district on Monday and reached Paidibhimavaram in Ranasthalam mandal in Srikakulam district.
The Yatra was inaugurated by Visakhapatnam Range DIG Gopinath Jetti with the participation of 25 police personnel. It passed through Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram Manyam districts before culminating at Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district.
The first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh, the initiative covers nearly 1,000 kilometers across five districts in the Visakhapatnam Ranges. Participants conduct awareness programs in schools, colleges, villages and major intersections about the dangers of narcotics and illegal drug trafficking.
The event included students’ flash shows, folk dances, traditional art shows, skits and songs highlighting the harmful effects of marijuana. Local residents, students, employees and public representatives supported the initiative.
District SP Maheshwara Reddy said people caught using or illegally carrying narcotics like marijuana will lose job opportunities.
Authorities established a toll-free hotline in 1972 to report drug-related information and guaranteed the confidentiality of informants. Citizens can also reach the emergency numbers 112 and 100.
DIG Gopinath Jetti said drug abuse was destroying the future of youth, while illegal marijuana smuggling fueled criminal networks. He stated that the money earned from this illegal trade drives young people into crime and strengthens dangerous forces that destabilize society.
The DIG outlined stringent measures implemented, including close monitoring of border roads and imposing strict legal penalties on traffickers with no tolerance. “Every family, every village, every city must be drug-free.”
