Soil infertility: How destroying liquor bottles is raising environmental concern in AP

Andhra Pradesh: Over the last two months, Twitter and other social media platforms are flooded with videos of Andhra Pradesh police and the Special Enforcement Bureau crushing illicit liquor bottles under a road roller. Though such destruction helps in curbing illicit liquor sales, it also raises environmental concerns.

COVID-19 impact

This all started during the COVID-19 pandemic situation when there was a liquor crisis and price escalation. People started getting non-duty paid liquor (NDPL) bottles from Telangana and other states. Some started more production of illicit alcohol which is mostly unbranded and doesn't comply with standards that ensure the quality and safety of products. Also, the recent deaths in Jangareddygudem in West Godavari district, suspected to be caused by the consumption of spurious liquor, have raised a political controversy. As per reports, Andhra Pradesh has been reporting at least 20 deaths a year due to the consumption of spurious liquor. This made the government take stringent action against spurious liquor.

Destruction prog

All the raids and seizures of illicit alcohol have been stored by the police and SEB. According to the police, alcohol should be destroyed. It was then the teams came up with the idea of destroying it. Starting from destroying 42k liquor bottles worth Rs. 2.14 crore in Prakasam district to the recent destruction of 1 crore 30 lakh worth of liquor bottles in Chittoor district, police are trying to make it a big spectacle. "Since the last two years, we have been taking action against illicit liquor, especially conducting checks at the border check posts" said Superintendent of Police, Eluru, Rahul Dev Sarma.

Here is the list:

-Prakasam district destroyed 42,810 liquor bottles worth Rs.2.14 crore were destroyed with a road roller, under the National Highway Bridge near Agraharam village in Ongole.

-Eluru district destroyed 33,934 liquor bottles worth Rs 80 lakh, registered in 1,083 cases.

-Tirupati district destroyed 6,977 liters of liquor worth Rs 68 lakh

-Bhimavaram district destroyed 6850 bottles (2230 liters) worth Rs 15,50,000 in 374 cases

-Vizianagaram police destroyed 3,745 seized liquor bottles worth Rs 30 lakh at Gokul Layout in Gantyada Mandal.

How safe is it for the environment?

Recently, a similar destruction program happened in Patna, when the High Court asked the Pollution Control Board to submit a report on how safe it is for the environment. According to the court order, the percolation of the liquor has caused the water table (to be) contaminated. The chemical composition of the liquor has affected the micro-organism found in the soil leading to infertility. Such contaminated water has further affected the general health of the people in the said vicinity.

When News Meter asked a SEB police about environmental concerns, he said that the seized liquor bottles are destroyed in an isolated place and the area is cleared immediately.