Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Illicit arrack flows through house taps

TIRUCHI: Residents in some of the cross streets in Mill Colony at Ramji Nagar in the outskirts of the City got a scare on Friday morning after the drinking water from their house taps flowed with a strong smell of illicit arrack.

An unidentified bootlegger, fearing police action, was suspected to have tampered with the pipelines to pour some quantity of illicit arrack using a funnel before fleeing.

Corporation officials alleged that the arrack was poured into the water mains through a pipeline at a house where illicit arrack was apparently being stocked.

Residents, who grew suspicious after receiving brackish water with a strong stink, alerted the ward councillor and Corporation officials.

Mayor S. Sujatha, Deputy Mayor M. Anbazhagan, Commissioner T. T. Balsamy and a team of Corporation officials rushed to the spot. The problem was noticed in households in three cross streets of the colony.

Water supply was immediately suspended and a thorough investigation lead to the discovery of the abandoned house from where the fermented wash had been poured into the distribution mains when there was no water flow.

The pipelines have since been thoroughly flushed and cleaned. Chlorination was also done before water supply was restored, Mr. Balsamy told The Hindu.

Enquiries with the police revealed that the Prohibition Enforcement Wing, a couple of days back, had raided a house in the colony and arrested a woman on the charge of possessing five litres of illicit arrack.

Following Friday’s incident, officials of the wing were conducting further checks at the colony.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Play enacted on effects of drug abuse
Demonstration against fuel price rise
India lacks technical manpower in food processing, says IICPT Director
Special annual exhibition
Mixed reaction to railway budget
“Review fuel price hike”
Illicit arrack flows through house taps
No public darshan
Coimbatore today
Competitions on August 2
Leaks and blocks make city overflow with sewage
Online insurance plan to be offered
60 applicants benefit from mentoring workshop
For a cause
Job-oriented courses offered

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu