ALAPPUZHA: The Excise Special Squad that reached Thotttapalli to nab drug peddlers were shocked to see ganja plants near children’s park here. The incident happened at 6:30 in the evening when a team led by Alappuzha Excise CI went to check the spot after they were tipped off
that the use of ganja and drugs was rampant here even during day times.

During the search, the police saw two persons drinking alcohol under a treee near the spillway channel alongside the Children’s Park. Seeing the police, the drinkers threw their beer bottles into a thicket nearby and ran away.

While searching the spot to find out what was in the bottles, the police stumbled upon 54 metre ganja plants inside the thicket. The police pulled out the plants and took it to Alappuzha Excise Office.

Incidentally, the park was the one built spending Rs 1.5 crore under Kerala government’s Mega Tourism project. But, now it wears a desolate look after its inauguration was hampered by CPM-Congress fracas over it.