Voices against rampant alcoholism are getting louder in several villages of the district, mainly those situated near the inter-State border with Andhra Pradesh.
Perturbed over the growing menace of alcohol addiction in their village, a group of women from Nayakulagudem village of Bayyannagudem Gram Panchayat in Penuballi mandal petitioned the authorities at the Collectorate here on Monday evening seeking their intervention to shift the newly-opened liquor retail outlet from their village.
The women blamed the easy availability of liquor for growing alcohol addiction among men of all ages with serious health and financial implications.
Similar demands have surfaced in other areas in Bhadrachalam and elsewhere in the predominantly tribal-populated Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, which shares a long border with Andhra Pradesh.
The number of liquor outlets has gone up from 83 in 2017-2019 to 89 in 2019-2021 in Khammam district.
It is ironical that the ruling dispensation has been trying to fill the treasury with liquor revenue by fixing revenue targets and classifying villages as “potential areas” at a “huge social cost”, said AIDWA Khammam District Secretary M. Bharathi.
Speaking to The Hindu , she said, “Alcoholism is the leading cause for road accidents, atrocities against women and disintegration of families. The TRS regime should take cue from the Andhra Pradesh government which has initiated a slew of measures to bring down liquor consumption,” she said.
The onus lies on the State government to conduct awareness programmes on the ill-effects of alcoholism and set up de-addiction centres to prevent youth from falling prey to alcohol addiction, she said.
