BALLARI: Upparahlali village in Kampli taluk of Ballari district has been declared an alcohol-free village, thanks to the efforts of the village seniors.
It’s the first village in the district to get this ‘unique tag’ after the village heads banned the consumption and sale of alcohol in the village. If any villager is found violating the rule, the village heads fine them.
They installed an ‘Alcohol-free Village’ board at the entrance of the village recently. Many people in the village have struggled to achieve this distinction, said elders in the village.
Nagappa Madar, a resident of Upparahalli, said that it’s a proud moment for all the residents that their village has turned alcohol-free.
“For the past two years, we were trying to declare it an alcohol-free village, but we could not do it due to many reasons. A few months ago, we created different groups in the village involving teachers, women and children. The teams would go door-to-door to create awareness of the ill-effects of alcohol. The response was positive and there was agreement by all to declare the village alcohol-free,” he said.
Besides, the teams formed by the villagers, government employees, ASHA workers and members of an NGO were also roped in for the campaign.
“Our village has a population of 1,300. We knew those who were addicted to alcohol. We spoke to their family members requesting them to convince the addicts to quit their habit. We also told villagers about the dream of village heads to get this special status for the village. The shops which used to store liquor illegally have been warned. Those who come to the village consuming alcohol have to pay a penalty,” he added.
“There were complaints of quarrels and disputes among relatives in the village, mainly from the families which had alcohol addicts. This made the village seniors achieve something unique and today our village has become a role model to others. The panchayat heads who were present during the function have promised to create awareness in other villages as well,” added another villager.