Toddy addiction crisis follows Telangana migrants to Gulf

Social workers in the Gulf say many young men from Telangana arrive in the UAE only to fall into psychological and physical distress due to sudden withdrawal from adulterated toddy

By Gulf Correspondent

Dubai: Until a few weeks ago, Pramila Bogademeedi hoped her husband would begin a new life in the United Arab Emirates. She was unsure about his earnings but believed he would at least escape the reach of adulterated toddy, which is easily available in many parts of Telangana.

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That hope was crushed when the mortal remains of her husband, 23-year-old Santosh from Temburni village in Nirmal district, were flown back from Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Santosh, like many others in the region, was addicted to adulterated toddy. Acting on the advice of well-wishers, his family sent him to the UAE with a dual purpose: to help him de-addict and earn a modest living. He landed in Abu Dhabi on June 22 but went missing the very next day. According to the family, he had gone out for lunch and never returned.

Worried, the family contacted G Narender, a well-known social worker in Abu Dhabi. With help from the Indian Embassy, it was discovered that Santosh had been found dead on June 27.

Santosh’s case is not isolated. Social workers in the Gulf say many young men from Telangana arrive in the UAE only to fall into psychological and physical distress due to sudden withdrawal from adulterated toddy.

G Aravind, a native of Khanapur mandal in the same district, went missing within a week of arriving in Dubai. He was found in a hospital two months later with serious injuries sustained after collapsing due to withdrawal symptoms. He has remained hospitalised for the past eight months.

Similarly, Nadipolla Srinivas from Pipri village in Lokeshwar mandal, Adilabad district, was also found in a severely injured condition in Dubai. He was treated and later repatriated. Another youth, Battu Nagarjuna from Chepur village in Armur mandal, Nizamabad, has been missing for the last two months since arriving in Dubai.

Narender said he receives regular calls from families whose relatives go missing soon after arriving in Gulf countries. “The majority of these missing persons are habitual consumers of adulterated toddy. Without it, they scream, toss around in pain, and it becomes nearly impossible for them to survive,” he said.