Alcohol flows from household taps in India

There were 18 reports of water with a pungent boozy smell to it on Monday according to Manorama News. The 18 homes in the neighbourhood were all using water out of the same well.

The owner of the apartment complex, Joshy Maliyekkal, mentioned noticing the alcohol smell while turning on a motor to add water to his outdoor water tank.

“All of a sudden, the pipe started to smell very bad,” Maliyekkal told the New Indian Express. “We were suspicious as to why such a smell was coming from the water drawn from an open well.”

He also noted that the well has been used by locals for years without any problems.

After investigating the situation, authorities found that the well was being contaminated by a pit used to dump illegal alcohol after it was confiscated from a bar about six years ago. The pit had been filled with approximately 6,000 litres of alcohol.

A local ward councillor named V.G. Joji told the New Indian Express, “The inspection proved the presence of alcohol in the water, and hence we called the excise officials and informed them of the matter.”

Deputy commissioner, T.K. Sanu said, “We will lend all support to the families affected.”

According to Sanu, disposing of alcohol in a pit is a normal procedure but the people responsible for this one did not take enough steps to ensure that they were not harming the environment or the people in the surrounding area. It is estimated that 2,000 bottles were poured into the pit.

A complaint has been filed to the municipal secretary and health department by residents. The bar responsible for the alcohol has said that they can provide water for the residents until the issue is fixed.