Persistent Excise Raids Fail To Stem Flow Of Gudamba

HYDERABAD: Uninterrupted supply of illicit liquor from Dhoolpet to areas like Charminar and Malakpet is taking a heavy toll on lives of denizens addicted to the killer liquid.Though the officials claim that there is decline in the production and supply of g u d a m b a, liquor made from black jaggery, the trends and figures obtained by TOI speak differently .
People in the area allege that the nexus between police and excise officials is mainly responsible for more production and innovative modes of its supply to the consumers. They point out that despite the area falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations and the presence of a big excise office, illicit liquor distillation is rampant. "G u d a m b a can be made easily on a kitchen top stove. But to make it on a bigger scale b h a t t i s or kilns are used. They sell the produce secretly carrying it on scooters and in cars to evade arrests . The production is uninterrupted by raids or arrest of couriers as the brewers come back on bail and continue their activities," said a local who did not want to be named.
Inayat Ali Baqury of Andhra Pradesh Mahila Welfare Society, one of the several organizations working with addicts , paints a grim picture when explaining the social problems emanating out of g u d a m b a addiction. "Most people who consume liquor are also addicted to g a n j a (marijuana). Those addicted to both these substances barely make it beyond 40 years. The dead leave behind poor families to fend for themselves . At present we have more than 150 children who have been rehabilitated owing to addiction related deaths of their parents. We also receive several cases of family quarrels directly attributable to g u d a m b a consumption at our counselling centres," he says.
The figures from excise department quantify the magnitude of the problem. The figures show that in the last seven months alone, a whopping 82,974 litres of g u d a m b a was seized in Dhoolpet while 16,445 litres and 6794 litres were seized from Charminar and Malakpet areas respectively. The department officials say that 90 per cent of g u d a m b a that is consumed in the city is distilled in Dhoolpet and distributed to other areas including Charminar and Malakpet where no distillation activity has been reported so far. "The amount of illegal liquor that is available in these areas is much higher that what the officials have seized. It could be 35-40 per cent higher. The illegal liquor business from these areas would be about 5-8 per cent of legal liquor sales in the city," said a police source.
Besides g u d a m b a, the consumption of toddy is also widely prevalent in these areas despite the beverage being banned within city limits. A total of 1903 litres of illegal toddy was seized from Dhoolpet while 2699 litres and 446 litres were seized from Charminar and Malakpet respectively. Officials say that while g u d a m b a is usually not mixed with narcotic substances, half of the illegal toddy seized is adulterated with such additives.
"Toddy sale is banned in Hyderabad but it finds its way from government toddy compounds on the outskirts like Rai Durg near Gachibowli and Rajendra Nagar. Toddy is usually mixed with substances like Alprazolam. If a person is caught selling toddy mixed with ingredients meant for higher levels of intoxication , then he can be arrested and denied bail," said an official associated with Charminar excise station.
Excise officials claim that close to 2000 arrests concerning sale of illegal liquor have been made in these three areas this year.
Baqury feels that a combative approach is required to tackle this problem . "In addition to social awareness and education, a strong enforcement policy is required. It is due to lack of such a policy, the problem has blown out of proportion," he says.