In a direct appeal to families across one of Himachal Pradesh's most vulnerable border districts, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday, 5 November 2026 called on the people of Chamba to become active partners in the state's war against chitta — the street name for heroin and synthetic drugs that has devastated households across northern India — by dialling the emergency helpline 112 with any drug-related information.

The appeal, shared by the Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh on X, quoted the Chief Minister directly: 'चिट्टे के विरुद्ध इस आर-पार की लड़ाई में समाज के हर वर्ग की भागीदारी जरूरी है' — 'In this decisive battle against chitta, the participation of every section of society is necessary.' He urged Chamba residents to share any drug-related tip on 112 for the sake of their children's future.

Why Chamba sits at the sharp end of this crisis

Chamba district occupies a strategic and exposed position in northern Himachal Pradesh, sharing borders with both Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir — two corridors through which synthetic drugs have travelled into the Himalayan hinterland since the mid-2010s. The district's mountainous terrain and sparse enforcement coverage have historically made it attractive to trafficking networks pushing heroin and synthetic opioids northward from Punjab's plains.

Himachal Pradesh governments have repeatedly launched anti-narcotics drives targeting border districts, but the emphasis on civilian tip-offs through a universal helpline marks a push to extend the state's intelligence reach into communities where formal enforcement presence is thin. 112, India's integrated emergency response number covering police, fire, and medical services, is already operational nationwide — meaning residents need no special channel to act.

A community-first enforcement model

The appeal frames the anti-drug campaign not as a police operation alone but as a social compact — every parent, teacher, or neighbour with a lead becoming a node in the detection network. This model, combining enforcement with community reporting, has been a recurring feature of state-level narcotics strategies across the northern hill states, where local trust can unlock intelligence that formal raids cannot.

Chief Minister Sukhu, who has led the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh since December 2022, has positioned the chitta menace as a youth issue as much as a law-enforcement one. Framing the ask around children's futures rather than crime statistics is a deliberate rhetorical choice — one that widens the constituency of action beyond those already engaged with the criminal justice system.

If the Chamba model gains traction, similar helpline-based campaigns could roll out to other at-risk Himachal districts, and coordination with central narcotics agencies may follow. The question for residents is simple: will the promise of anonymity and a single familiar number be enough to make the call?