A pall of gloom hangs over the Laxminagar slum locality and neighbouring places of Rathodwadi and Ambujwadi in Malvani, a western suburbs of Mumbai, where several people have died and several others are battling for life after consuming illicit liquor.
Most of the victims are from very poor families, and were construction workers, carpenters, auto-drivers, labourers and daily-wage labourers.
Besides, majority of the victims were migrants, as well as sole bread-earners with big families to support. This is slowly compounding into a major social issue.
“We have to think it in a big way. Combined, there would be nearly 200 kids whose fathers have died,” said Harish Kumar, a resident of the Laxminagar slums, one of the most affected localities.
“People used to drink liquor from the joint, but no one here would have ever thought that this would happen. A majority of those who have died were aged 18-45, which are the main working years of any person,” he said, adding that nearly 20-25 people from the locality have either died or are admitted to hospital.
Two brothers from the locality—Dinesh and Kamlesh Kanojia—had died after consuming illicit liquor. “We have lost everything,” said their mother. Rathodwadi-resident Santosh Aher said three persons from his society—Bhavan Shinde, Anil Utekar and Babbu Miya Shaikh—have died.
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