PATTAMBI: Complaints have been raised alleging that the banks of the Bharathapuzha river in Thrithala Panchayat have become a haven for drunkards and drug mafias. Since the opening of the beverage shop at Karimbanakkadavu in Thrithala, the people living in the area are finding it difficult to put up with the nuisance caused by the drunkards.

The number of people who buy alcohol from the beverage outlet and go to the river in groups to drink is increasing. Many, including students, are entering the river to consume alcohol. Liquor bottles, water bottles and plastic covers are piling up on the banks of the river.

Most of these people come to the river bank under the pretext of catching fish. They are followed by groups with liquor bottles.
River banks such as Karimbanakkadavu, Kalyanappadi, Njaangaattiri Canal Road Kadavu and Kannanur Kayam on the Kadavu road are some of the main haves of the drunkards. The area also regularly witnesses conflicts among groups using drugs and liquor.

With the increasing nuisance caused by drunkards, villagers, including women, have stopped going to the river to bathe and wash clothes. Recently, two youths were killed at the Karimbanakkadavu behind the beverage outlet. Locals are alleging that the police often turn a blind eye when they complain about the nuisance caused by drunkards and drug mafias. The police come to the area only when an untoward incident takes place.

Authorities are yet to pay attention to the demand of the locals to install a surveillance camera on Kadavu Road. The local residents are demanding that the concerned authorities should be ready to take immediate action to avoid further untoward incidents in the area.