The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Death stalks this village

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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Death stalks this village

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

Addiction to illicitly distilled liquor claims lives

Waiting for help: Ramulu who has been ailing since long in Mangal Tanda in Khammam district.

KUSUMANCHI ( Khammam dt): Death appears to be knocking on one door after another in Mangal Tanda, a tribal village, some 10 km from here. Men in their prime are dying leaving their families ruined and children orphaned. Badavath Biksha, succumbed few weeks back reducing his two wives and children into destitutes. Tejawath Pantulu, 40, Suryam 36, Jayarao, 40, Badavath Pedabodu, 38 -are all recent addition to the long list of those who died after consuming illicitly distilled liquor. Few others are waiting for their end to come.

The deaths are mainly due to illicit distillation that turned almost half of the homes in the village into mini breweries. The village has been the source of bulk supply of the dangerous decoction to nearby areas well as far off places such as Vijayawada. The business has a devastating effect on the health as a whole generation barring a few got addicted.

Consumption of heavy doses proved to be fatal for many. Complaints ranging from loss of sensation to vision impairment are galore. Nervous system gets badly affected and beyond the scope of healing in some cases.

So is the case with Banothu Ramaulu, who is bed ridden for more than a year. Families took to brewing as an economic activity years ago when they had no other option to eke out a living. In a bid to meet the demand, hazardous substances including discarded leather shoes are being used in distillation process. Almost one third of the families in the village had lost either a father or a son over the years. Illicit liquor had claimed the lives of more than 60 persons in the village over the years. Youths from the village and those pursuing higher studies are keen to end the evil, but they could do little thanks to the hefty donations that come to the village from the lone jaggery supplier in the form of festival donation for every holi.

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