Context:
The Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy , which has claimed more than 50 lives, follows a distressingly familiar pattern in its cause, sequence of events, and aftermath. Such incidents occur periodically across various Indian states. Postmortem reports almost universally attribute the cause of death to methanol consumption.
Relevance:
- GS2- Health
- GS3- Science and Technology
Mains Question:
How is spurious alcohol produced in India? What are the various instances of spurious alcohol-related poisoning deaths in the country? (10 Marks, 150 Words).
How are Ethanol and Methanol made?
- Ethanol, the legal form of alcohol for consumption, is produced biologically, whereas methanol is produced from fuels like coal in India.
- Molasses, a by-product of the sugar-making process, serve as the starting material for distilleries often located near sugar factories.
- These distilleries produce rectified spirit, which is further distilled to create extra neutral alcohol, used to make Indian Made Foreign Liquor, a significant revenue source for state governments.
- During ethanol production in regulated distilleries, methanol is also produced but carefully removed due to highly controlled processes.
- Methanol is derived from coal and other fossil fuels. While ethanol can be made safe for consumption, methanol is toxic and even in small amounts can be fatal.
- Despite its toxicity, methanol is essential for producing a range of useful products, such as paints, which cannot be made without it.
Is Methanol Easy to Procure?
- Like ethanol, methanol is a highly controlled substance. Regulations in Tamil Nadu ensure that its manufacturing, transportation, and storage are all licensed, monitored, and audited for quantity and quality.
- In northern Tamil Nadu, much of the methanol used in industries comes from Andhra Pradesh.
- Reports indicate a profitable methanol pilferage racket operating both en route and at the end-user level.
- It is possible that methanol produced during the crude distillation process used by bootleggers in Kallakurichi wasn’t removed, leading to methanol poisoning.
- However, the widespread contamination and scale of the Kallakurichi tragedy suggest that methanol was likely procured and supplied separately, either as part of a brew or on its own in diluted form.
- Given that illicit liquor production and distribution have been ongoing in the area for many months, if not years, the use of methanol was not a one-off event specific to this tragic week in Kallakurichi.
Why is Methanol used?
- Most hooch tragedies in India occur due to methanol contamination in liquor. There is a common, albeit misguided, belief that methanol, being relatively inexpensive but potent, if diluted enough, can mimic the effects of ordinary liquor, providing a state of intoxication or ‘kick’ for consumers.
- In the 2015 Malvani, Mumbai hooch tragedy, where over 100 people died and about 75 were injured, prosecutors argued that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy and deliberately procured and supplied poisonous methanol.
- The defense argued that the accused would not knowingly add methanol as it made no business sense and bootleggers, like those in Kallakurichi, live within the community and would not want to harm their own people.
- In this case, the additional sessions judge acquitted 10 of the 14 accused, convicting four of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide not amounting to murder, but did not find anyone guilty of violating the Poisons Act of 1919.
Way Forward:
- The recurring incidents of methanol poisoning highlight the need for robust central legislation that complements state laws.
- Strengthening laws such as the Poisons Act, which involves state governments, can help tighten the methanol supply chain.
- Effective implementation of these laws is crucial, especially given plans to increase the production of both ethanol and methanol as cost-effective, eco-friendly alternatives to petrol and diesel for transportation.
Conclusion:
The NITI Aayog has proposed increasing methanol production from two metric tonnes to twenty. Ensuring that methanol and ethanol remain separate and preventing any pilferage should be a national priority.
