Mission Zero launched to make Odisha's Gajapati district cannabis-free

Some police officers in a place called Gajapati, in Odisha, India, want to stop people from growing cannabis, a plant that can be used to make illegal drugs.

Gajapati is a hilly and forested area where, for many years, people have grown cannabis in secret.

Last year, the police found and destroyed about eight hundred thousand cannabis plants.

This year, instead of just cutting down plants, they are trying something new.

They are helping farmers grow useful crops instead, like maize, cashew, litchi and fruit trees.

Many of these farmers belong to tribal communities called the Kandha and the Saura.

The government is giving them good seeds, fertiliser and advice about farming.

Banks are also lending them money at low cost so they can start legal farming.

The police want the whole district to have zero cannabis plants this season.

Their big goal is to make Gajapati a cannabis-free district.