MAPUSA
Children from different schools marched through the main thoroughfare of the coastal Anjuna village with placards and shouted slogans creating the perfect noise against drug abuse on Monday morning.
Luckily for the kids, there were no rains despite an orange alert sounded by the Met department.
Whether the annual drill against drug abuse has really made an impact on the impressionable minds is, of course, debatable.
The Anjuna-Vagator coast is known to be the hub of narco-trade in the State with several drug overdose cases being reported from this belt.
Goa Police have raided several clubs and restaurants in the village recently and in the past in bid to act against illicit drug trade.
Recently, Hyderabad Police also arrested some club owners for being involved in drug trade.
But along with DySP Jivba Dalvi, Anjuna PI Prashal Desai and other police officers in tow, the school children managed to create the right optics on the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
Over 200 students from seven schools within the jurisdiction of Anjuna Police Station participated in the anti-drug awareness rally.
The rally kicked off from Anjuna Police Station and after winding through the streets culminated with a programme at the Arpora panchayat hall.
A professor at the Institute of Psychiatric and Human Behaviour, Vithoba Mhalkar and Mapusa SDPO Jivba Dalvi delivered a lecture to the students and guided them on the ill-effects of drug abuse.
Dalvi appealed to the students to focus on their career and remain away from vices.
“Parents send their children to schools and colleges with a dream of offering a better future to them. We have no rights to destroy the dreams of our parents,” Dalvi said.
He also appealed to the students to communicate with their teachers and parents if they find any person indulging in drug supply or drug abuse.
On the occasion, Anjuna Police Station organised a poster drawing competition.
Around 140 students participated in the contest and best three students “ Leandra Barros of SFX Siolim, Samantha Dodamani of St Michael Convent High School, Anjuna and Triana Muniz of St Joseph High School, Arpora bagged an award and an appreciation certificate.
Arpora-Nagoa Sarpanch Roshan Redkar, Assagao Sarpanch, Hanumant Naik and panchayat members of different village panchayats in Siolim attended the programme.
Similar, awareness programmes were also organised by Mapusa Police Station at Mapusa bus-stand in coordination with an NGO, Human Touch.
Mapusa PI Sitakant Naik also delivered a lecture to the NCC cadet girls at St Xavier’s College in Mapusa.
Colvale PI Somnath Mahajik delivered a lecture to the students after conducting a rally of several school students in Colvale.
