845 youths undergoing treatment in rehabilitation centres in Jhapa

Jhapa, Aug 20: As many as 845 youths in Jhapa district who are addicted to narcotic drugs are undergoing treatment in 27 rehabilitation centres across the district at present.

According to the District Administration Office, Jhapa, the narcotic drug addicts were admitted to such correction centres either by their parents or by the police to help them come out of the addiction. 

An increasing number of cases involving narcotic drugs among the youths have been reported in the district, possibly influenced by the district's open border with India, which may facilitate easier access to such substances for drug abuse.

Police regularly detain youths found with narcotic drugs in bordering areas, big markets and rural settlements. 

Assistant Chief District Officer Taj Prakash Prasai informed that six rehabilitation centres are operating in Mechninagar and the same other in Birtamod. 

Four such centres are running in Shivasatakshi, three each in Damak and Kankai, two each in Arjundhara and Kamal, and one in Buddha Shanti.

The Birtamod rehabilitation centre has the highest number of youths (223) being treated for drug addiction, said Assistant CDO Prasai.

Likewise, 178 youths are being treated in Mechninagar, 105 in Shivasakatshi, 89 in Damak, 82 in Kankai, 73 in Kamal, 55 in Arjundhara and 40 in Dhuhashanti. 

Bhim Prasad Luitel, the operator of the Nawayatra Rehabilitation Centre at Mechninagar, said that a total of 33 youths are being treated at the centre. 

Luitel admitted that rehabilitating youths who were discarded by society and who had lost their family's confidence is not an easy task.

"The State is supposed to do this work, but we are doing it on our own. The situation of drug abuse has become severe in the bordering area while the State is delaying in taking cognisance of this issue," he noted. 

The rehabilitation centres here offer residential, paid treatment for youths with three-month and six-month recovery programme, informed Luitel who has been leading rehabilitation campaign in the locality for the past 13 years. 

According to him, the youths in these centres participate in counselling sessions daily, receive regular health check-ups and engage in yoga and meditation regularly as a part of the rehabilitation process. (RSS)