While the Kerala government continues to issue stern directives to intensify the state's battle against drugs, the ground reality for the enforcement wing remains grim. In Thiruvananthapuram, a chronic staff shortage within the excise department has pushed officers to the limit, leaving them physically exhausted and mentally drained. Many officers are forced to survive on barely two hours of sleep to keep up with the punishing workload.

Data reveals that 35 essential posts in various divisions across the capital district have been lying vacant for years. Out of the total workforce, there are currently only 212 officers deployed across 12 range offices, with 86 in circle offices and a mere 51 in special units. The range offices, which bear the brunt of field enforcement, are suffering the most with 23 sanctioned posts remaining unoccupied.

The pressure on the existing workforce has peaked with the launch of special anti-drug initiatives like Operation Toofan. To meet these targets, officers are regularly deployed on gruelling special duties. In the Civil Excise Officer cadre, there are only 86 officers active against the sanctioned strength of 95, leaving nine positions vacant. Similarly, the department has only 50 Women Civil Excise Officers against a sanctioned strength of 53.

The jurisdiction of a single excise range is sprawling, roughly equivalent to the territory of 10 police stations. Despite this vast area, a range office usually has only about five officers available for active raids at any given time, as the remaining personnel are tied up with court duties, station guard duty, and other administrative tasks.

Members of the special anti-drug squads routinely work late-night raids that stretch well into the early hours of the morning. Despite these overnight operations, officers complain that they are denied compensatory rest or even a single day off the following day. 'We are expected to report back to duty after sleeping for just two or three hours,' one officer shared on condition of anonymity. This unrelenting pressure and lack of leave options have taken a massive toll on the mental well-being of the staff.

The consequences of this systemic neglect are devastating. According to information obtained through Right to Information (RTI) queries, the extreme work pressure and lack of work-life balance have driven at least two excise officers to take their own lives in the past 10 years. Shockingly, despite the expanding drug menace and increasing operational demands, there has been no significant upgrade to the department's staff strength in a decade. While the state government demands results on the anti-drug front, the very officers tasked with fighting this war are being pushed to breaking point by administrative apathy.