Jun 27, Kathmandu- Many people die every year from cheap liquor made in backstreet distilleries in India, but this incident in the state of Tamil Nadu is one of the deadliest in recent years.

In the Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu, some people who drank locally brewed alcohol laced with methanol reported severe eye damage. Confirming the person who died in this incident, District Police Chief Rajat Chaturvedi said that more than 100 people who had consumed fatal alcohol were initially taken to the hospital.

Parliamentarians affiliated to a political party in Tamil Nadu were expelled from the Rajya Sabha (legislature) on Wednesday after protesting demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister, saying that many people had died due to alcohol consumption.

Poor laborers in Kallakurichi district used to regularly buy liquor costing Rs 60 in plastic bags and drink it before work. This batch of local produce they drink has proved disastrous.

Even though Tamil Nadu is not a dry state, black market liquor is sold at a lower price than legally sold liquor.

In many other parts of India, the sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited, further fueling a thriving black market for the potent and sometimes deadly moonshine. To increase its potency, alcohol is often mixed with methanol, which can cause blindness, liver damage and death.

Last year, at least 27 people died in the eastern Indian state of Bihar due to consumption of poisoned liquor, while in 2022, at least 42 people died in Gujarat.