By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: A tragic incident unfolded in Bihar on Thursday, as 35 people lost their lives after consuming illicit liquor in Siwan and Chapra districts. Official government figures confirm the deaths of 25 individuals, while more than 70 others are currently fighting for their lives, with several in critical condition. This raises the pressing question: why have deaths from toxic alcohol continued despite the eight-year enforcement of the liquor ban in Bihar?
Bihar’s Chief Minister remarked that although alcohol is prohibited, many people continue to drink in secret, leading to deaths from tainted liquor. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), thousands of people die annually across India from drinking poisonous liquor, with Bihar showing alarming statistics.
Experts argue that the true death toll from toxic liquor is likely higher than official figures suggest. In many cases, families, fearing legal consequences, avoid reporting the deaths to authorities and often conduct secret last rites for their loved ones.
This incident has been described as an administrative failure, with some saying that the enforcement of the liquor ban has lost its effectiveness. Despite the prohibition, various types of liquor are still being sold. Over the past eight years, 12 lakh cases related to alcohol have been registered in Bihar, and last year alone, more than 150 people died from consuming poisonous liquor. Even government officials acknowledge that home delivery of alcohol continues in Bihar, and poorer communities have turned to consuming locally brewed illicit liquor.
Bihar’s prohibition law, which came into effect in April 2016, was a key election promise of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the 2015 state assembly elections. The law was widely supported, particularly by women voters, but its results have been mixed. Despite the ban, liquor seizures remain frequent, and the deaths of more than 30 people from poisonous alcohol in Siwan and Saran have once again put the effectiveness of the ban under scrutiny.
Bihar is one of five Indian states with a prohibition law, alongside Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Lakshadweep. Other states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, previously attempted to enforce prohibition but later reversed the decision due to revenue losses. In Bihar, the government passed a bill targeting the liquor and sand mafia during the budget session, but experts argue that these laws have had little effect, as many officials and influential figures are complicit in the illegal liquor trade.
According to a report by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), the illegal liquor business is thriving across India, causing significant revenue losses to the government due to smuggling. Illicit alcohol is sold at inflated prices, and data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reveals that despite the liquor ban, alcohol consumption in Bihar remains higher than in Maharashtra.
The Bihar government recently released startling statistics covering the period from 2016 to August 2024. On average, 18 people are arrested every hour in the state for liquor-related offences. Over the past eight years, 266 people have died from consuming poisonous liquor. Additionally, 234 liquor mafia members have been arrested, and more than 5 lakh individuals have been convicted for violating prohibition laws. Crores of litres of alcohol have been seized, and over 3 crore litres have been destroyed, according to Vinod Singh Gunjial, Secretary of the Prohibition Department.
Despite these efforts, the recent deaths in Siwan and Chapra cast a shadow over the effectiveness of Bihar’s liquor ban, raising critical questions about its future.
