Chennithala inaugurates district-level Toofan drive in Idukki - The HinduUpdated - September 03, 2026 07:38 pm IST - IdukkiHome Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday inaugurated the district-level anti-drug campaign, “Operation Toofan / Toofan Jagaran,” at Pavanathma College, Murickassery in Idukki.He affirmed that the government is adopting modern investigative methods to dismantle drug syndicates.“Synthetic drugs are ravaging communities globally, and dealers know how to target children. The government is also providing specialized training to police canines to detect contraband,” the Minister remarked.Mr. Chennithala further noted that the police have intensified Operation Toofan, arresting 10,748 people, registering over 9,000 cases, and seizing narcotics worth ₹170 crore so far.During the event, Idukki Bishop Mar John Nellikunnel urged the government to resolve issues surrounding Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) and land ownership in the district. In response, Mr. Chennithala assured that the State is working to address these grievances and intends to confine ESA demarcations strictly to forest boundaries.“We are attempting to reduce the number of designated ESA villages in Idukki from 51 to 28. Both the Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister will visit the district to resolve these land disputes,” he said.Government Chief Whip Apu John Joseph, MLAs Cyriac Thomas and Senapathy Venu, District Collector Dinesan Cheruvat, Ernakulam Range DIG Yathish Chandra, and Idukki SP A. Naseem, among others, attended the function.Published - September 03, 2026 07:37 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }