Hooch tragedy in Bihar claims at least 50 lives and several hospitalized after the consumption of Spurious liquor in Saran District.
Updated on 16th December 2022.
According to media reports, at least 50 people allegedly died and several were still hospitalized after the consumption of Spurious liquor in the Saran district of Bihar. This Hazardous incident has occurred in the Mashrak, Marhaura, Amour, and Isuapur areas of Saran on the 12 and 13th of December.v Out of which, Mashrak and Isuapur were badly affected.
As per the villagers, country liquor is openly available for sale and purchase in this area, despite having a ban on liquor in the state since 2016. But the implementation seems to be patchy. It would have been reported that around 3 dozen people are hospitalized for medication at Chhapra Sadar and Patna.
Impact of Spurious liquor
The family of the deceased claimed that more than 50 people consumed country-made liquor on Tuesday evening and later sustained vomiting and complained of nausea, headache, and uneasiness. Many had effects on vision due to toxins.
Death tolls may rise as many of the infected people are hovering between life and death. According to the Hindustan times, nearly 50 persons lost their lives in nine hooch incident in the Saran district
Recent Development
All the infected persons were taken to the hospital and official district administration teams are marching on the ground to meet the bereaved families and make the people aware of the Spurious liquor.
After the tragedy, CM Nitish Kumar said that People should refrain from the consumption of liquor and also reiterated the importance of enforcing of the state liquor ban in Bihar. “if people consume alcohol, they will die”, he added.
Main supplier, distributor, and smuggler along with 40 people arrested after this tragedy in saran. S.H.O. of the concerned area was suspended with immediate effect and the higher administration took the charge of the area on a short note.
State parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhry said that there was nothing wrong with the prohibition and also admitted the “sound loopholes” in the mechanism of implementation.
Political uproar on tragedy
The hooch tragedy has propelled a massive political slugfest in the state assembly as the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ and opposition BJP traded charges over the mishap. BJP is protesting against the government to roll back the prohibition. Union minister Giriraj Singh asked Nitish Kumar to reconsider the prohibition policy in the state, claiming that it has failed with the illicit sale of spurious liquor causing frequent deaths and a rise in crimes linked to it.
Mr. Singh said that liquor has become GOD in Bihar as it is present everywhere but nobody can see it.
CM Nitish Kumar said that the liquor ban has benefited many people and Several people have happily accepted this. But there are some troublemakers whom officers are identifying and will nab shortly.
Law Regarding liquor ban
Bihar prohibited the manufacture, sale, and consumption of liquor in 2016. The prohibition law was amended in 2018 under which some provisions were diluted. The Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed in April this year.
Loopholes in implementation lead to havoc.
Recent past stories
The sales and consumption of liquor had banned since 2016 in Bihar, but due to reckless implementation, it leads to the loss of life of a large number every year. Spurious liquor has claimed at least 66 lives in 13 several incidents in 2021.
In 2022, at least 32 people have died in Bihar on Holi, due to suspected consumption of spurious liquor. At least 12 people are suspected to have died in Banka and three in Madhepura from drinking hooch this year.
Need of Bihar
All these incidents are enough to explain the system and their fault with the implementation of the law on the ground. Authorities have to take strict action against all the Culprits involved in this illicit activity. The concerned department must have to conduct several raids at the affected site and demolish all the illegal infrastructure involved in the production of the hooch claiming several lives. For a healthy society, It needs to have people with a good frame of mind.
