Gudumba brewing resurfaces, raising concerns

Metro India News | HUZURNAGAR 

The illegal manufacture and sale of illicit country liquorcommonly known as ‘gudumba’  is reportedly making a comeback in villages and remote tribal hamlets in Suryapet district. After remaining largely under control for several years, the underground trade is said to be expanding again, with bootleggers allegedly producing liquor in secret and transporting it to nearby towns and villages. According to local residents, the sharp increase in the prices of legally sold alcoholic beverages has driven many low- and middle-income consumers toward cheaper illicit liquor.

Critics allege that while the Excise Department has been conducting occasional raids, officials have failed to dismantle the production networks, allowing the illegal trade to continue. In the past, the state government had introduced rehabilitation schemes and alternative livelihood programs for families engaged in illicit liquor production. These initiatives had significantly reduced the practice. However, residents claim that some individuals have resumed brewing gudumba as a primary source of income, with the trade now spreading beyond rural villages and tribal settlements into urban areas as well.

Villages in Mathampally, Palakeedu, Chinthalapalem, and Mellacheruvu mandals are among the areas where illicit brewing is said to be taking place, particularly in remote villages and forested regions.  Residents attribute the resurgence of illicit liquor largely to the rising cost of legal alcohol. Purchasing even a quarter bottle of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) now costs more than Rs 200, making it unaffordable for many daily wage earners and economically weaker sections.

Concerns are also being raised over what residents describe as inadequate surveillance by the Excise Department. However, locals argue that enforcement efforts have focused mainly on intercepting transport and retail sales rather than identifying and dismantling the production sites. Residents say that merely conducting sporadic raids without targeting the source of production will not effectively curb the illegal trade.