Undeterred by 104 people dying due to illicit liquor barely in Malwani, locals at Sanjay Gandhi National Park are busy making hooch in a tiny island in the middle of Vihar lake
While the families of the 104 people, who died after consuming illicit liquor last week in Malwani, are still to come to terms with the deaths of their loved ones, it’s routine business for hooch manufacturers inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
Also read: Hooch being made inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park!
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More than six months after a detailed investigation by mid-day revealed about 20 illicit liquor-brewing units inside the SGNP, another unit has been discovered this time on an island in the middle of a lake, where no authorities can reach.
Preparations are on to make spurious alcohol on the tiny island, which can only be reached by boat
The Vihar lake inside National Park is a popular destination for youngsters and nature lovers during the monsoon. A trail passing through the Aarey Milk Colony goes towards the lake, from behind Film City hill. Though boards warn people that the area is restricted, many still enter the core forest patch surrounding the lake.
Many youngsters land up here via a trail passing through the tribal hamlets of Maroshi Pada and Sai Bhangoda, which are close to Royal Palms. Several people who trespass upon this area swim in the lake or consume liquor by it.
The island which serves as a base for the hooch-manufacturing unit
Some also purchase the liquor allegedly manufactured by some of the units inside the forest, about which this paper has reported in detail.
Also read: 5 more families say hooch killed their loved ones, cops blame it on illness
The workers were spotted cleaning the utensils and readying them for the preparation of alcohol
Liquor island
On Sunday (June 21), a nature lover happened to visit the area in the afternoon during a nature trail, and was shocked to see people consuming alcohol and swimming in the Vihar lake. What he saw inside the lake was even more astounding.
The remnants of a liquor bhatti by the Vihar lake
“A group of three to five people, including women, were setting up a chulha for making illicit liquor on a small island in the middle of Vihar lake. All this happened right in front of our eyes,” alleged the man, who did not wish to be named. The alert environmentalist captured the process on video (mid-day has a copy).
The clip shows around five people who have started cleaning the containers and barrels, so alcohol can be brewed by evening. A local from a nearby area, who also refused to be identified, added, “This is just one of the many illicit liquor-manufacturing units operational in the SGNP core forest area.
They have set up this unit on the island because they know the police and forest department cannot reach them as they don’t have boats.” How do these workers reach this island? They wade towards it atop thick thermocol sheets, or by tying inflated tyre tubes around their bodies.
The preparation usually begins in the evening, starting with the boiling of ingredients. The prepared liquor is transported in the wee hours and is later sold at dirt-cheap prices to labourers, tribals and others who wish to purchase it. This alcohol costs much less than the average country liquor as well.
Even as more than a hundred have died of consuming hooch in the city, the authorities are blissfully unaware of the source of this illicit liquor, which is being made on their watch. Forest department officials, police and the excise department seem to be least concerned.
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