Leh,: The 33rd and 34th meetings of the District Level Committee under the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan were held today at the DC Office chamber Leh.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Romil Singh Donk, along with SSP Leh Shree Ram R, and was attended by the District Social Welfare Officer Leh, Medical Superintendent of SNM Hospital, and senior officials from the social welfare, police and medical departments.
During the meeting, all concerned departments presented their inputs and shared ground-level assessments. SSP Leh highlighted the gravity of the substance abuse situation in Ladakh and stressed the urgent need for establishing a de-addiction centre in Leh. He also apprised the Deputy Commissioner of the cases related to drug abuse that have come to the notice of the police.
The Medical Superintendent, SNM Hospital, briefed the meeting in detail on Hepatitis C, its seriousness, and the associated public health concerns, particularly in relation to substance abuse. Other departments also shared their suggestions and perspectives on addressing this sensitive issue.
The Deputy Commissioner sought a detailed update on the functionality of the Drug De-addiction and Support Ecosystem (DDSE) and emphasized the importance of building trust-based interventions, strengthening inter-departmental coordination, and enhancing collaboration among various stakeholders. He also stressed the need to engage community and religious organisations, including the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and other civil society organisations in preventive and awareness initiatives.
It was informed that recent testing among youth revealed a high incidence of Hepatitis C, which led to the convening of this emergency meeting. The Deputy Commissioner directed all departments to take strict and coordinated action to address the situation.
The need to intensify anti-drug abuse awareness and preventive programmes in schools and colleges was also stressed. It was further informed that the next meeting would deliberate on coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
