Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): Illegal liquor trade is flourishing in villages situated on the banks of Narmada including Chhoti Kasrawad with the river providing a safe and easy means of transport for the illicit liquor distilled in dozens of kilns set up on the banks of the river and adjoining areas.
The village falls under the Barwani police station, barely eight to nine kilometres away from Barwani district headquarters. Villagers claimed that the illegal business was not only flourishing but is also polluting the water of the Narmada river, a lifeline of the Malwa and Nimar region.
Villagers have even questioned the local administration and the excise department as the entire business is going on under their noses.
Villagers claimed that the department turns a blind eye to the entire business and this is making a mockery of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s attempt to revive the aesthetic beauty of river Narmada as in 2017 during the Narmada Seva Yatra he had stated that all liquor shops within a five-kilometre radius from the banks of Narmada river will be shut down.
The place where the illegal business is going falls under the constituency of state animal husbandry minister Prem Singh Patel.
Villagers informed that due to the rise in the water level of Narmada, the illegal liquor trade had stopped temporarily, but as soon as the water level of Narmada started decreasing, the liquor mafia has become active again.
The mafias have set up country liquor kilns on the banks of the Narmada and Mahua Lahan is stored here in large quantities. They fill it in big cans and leave it in the Narmada.
The liquor mafia can easily be seen supplying liquor from this side of the Narmada to the other side, but surprising thing is that the administration is not aware.
When contacted district excise department officer Deepak Awasthi said that action has been taken by us from time to time. We will soon raid the place and destroy the entire setup.
Mafia intelligence better than department's
One of the excise department officers on condition of anonymity admitted that the mafia involved in the illegal business has better intelligence than the department. Whenever we go on a raid, they get the information about our operation and we are most of the time forced to return empty-handed.
