Scale of outreach higher than Punjab, HP, Haryana
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 19: In an aggressive and unprecedented push against drug abuse, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has surged ahead of several States and Union Territories in the country by conducting nearly 12,000 awareness and sensitization programmes under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA).
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The scale and frequency of these campaigns signal not just administrative urgency, but a determined attempt to reclaim communities from the grip of substance abuse, which has penetrated deep into villages, schools and urban pockets alike.
The data of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment underscores this surge, placing J&K among the most active regions in the country in terms of awareness generation, an effort which is crucial in curbing the spread of drug addiction especially among the youth.
The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched on August 15, 2020 in 272 most vulnerable districts and later it was extended to all the districts of the country. The NMBA intends to reach out to the masses and spread awareness about substance use with focus on higher educational institutions, university campuses and schools.
The Union Ministry has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with eight spiritual organizations-The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, ISKCON, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, All World Gayatri Pariwar, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantri Ashram and University of Patanjali to support NMBA and conduct mass awareness activities.
As per the data, which was presented in the Parliament by the Union Ministry, a total of 11978 awareness and sensitization programmes were conducted across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir during the past few years.
When compared to several other States and Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir’s outreach under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan stands out both in scale and consistency. The number of awareness programmes is much more than several other States and UTs including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The awareness blitz has spanned across all districts of the Union Territory, with several districts recording exceptionally high numbers of campaigns. Baramulla has emerged as the top performer with over 2,000 campaigns, followed by Udhampur (1428), Anantnag (1009), Ramban (978) and Poonch (900).
Districts such as Rajouri (858), Kishtwar (701), Pulwama (699) and Reasi (654) have also reported strong participation, while Budgam, Kupwara, and Doda have shown steady progress, indicating that the campaign has penetrated even remote and less accessible areas.
“The scale of outreach clearly reflects that the Government of India has acknowledged the gravity and scale of the drug abuse problem in the Union Territory. The sustained and large-scale rollout of campaigns under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan indicates a conscious policy shift from treating substance abuse to addressing it as a serious social and public health challenge requiring urgent intervention”, official sources said.
They further said, “the intensity of these efforts underscores a recognition at the highest level that J&K needs focused attention, with preventive outreach being prioritised alongside enforcement and rehabilitation to curb the growing menace effectively”.
“Border districts and areas with rising drug-related concerns have been prioritised with special drives conducted in schools, colleges and community spaces. Door-to-door awareness programmes, youth engagement initiatives and counseling sessions have formed the backbone of this outreach”, the Union Ministry informed the Parliament in reply to a question.
It is pertinent to mention here that the awareness and sensitization programmes conducted under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan are in addition to the extensive initiatives already being undertaken independently by the Jammu and Kashmir administration at its own level.
This means the overall outreach on the ground is significantly higher than the NMBA figures alone suggest as multiple departments, district authorities, police and educational institutions continue to run parallel anti-drug campaigns.
“The emphasis has been on early intervention and prevention, especially among the younger population,” the Ministry said.
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