Nizamabad: Six persons died on Wednesday due to withdrawal symptoms from adulterated toddy, taking the toll in the district to 12. The adulterated toddy carried dangerous chemicals like Alphazolam, chloral hydrate, urea and other ingredients to give an additional ‘kick’. Even government employees and policemen were found addicted to adulterated toddy.
Following the directions of higher-ups, prohibition and Excise, police and revenue officials are jointly conducting raids on toddy shops and sending samples to laboratories to test their contents. Sensing trouble, the toddy traders stopped mixing of chemicals into the toddy, which led to health problems among the addicts.
Those who died on Wednesday were identified as Madhav of Hamalwadi, Nizamabad, Gajula Narsaiah, 57, of Ayyappanagar in Kamareddy, Gudise Pentaiah, 60, of Issapally in Bhiknoor mandal, Chittari Gangaram, 25, of Domakonda and Gurram Chandraiah, 72 of Pedda Bazaar in Kamareddy.
Neeradi Posani of Gottumukkala village committed suicide by jumping into an agriculture well on Wednesday as her husband Neeradi Lakshman had begun “behaving abnormally” due to withdrawal symptoms.
Around 500 people have been admitted in various private and government hospitals with toddy withdrawal symptoms in the district. The district administration has not yet initiated action against kingpins of the adulterated toddy racket. Speaking to this newspaper, additional joint collector P. Rajaram said adulteration and non-adulteration of toddy were both causing problems.
