In Surat, wood is used for country liquor bhattis, not cremation grounds

Surat : When the cremation grounds in the diamond city of Surat are in desperate need of wood to cremate dead bodies, wood of various tree species is being smuggled and illegally felled in and around Surat to fuel the country liquor bhattis operating in the villages of Olpad and Choriyasi talukas.

An aware citizen carried out an operation on his own risk to trace the country liquor bhattis using wood as the primary source of fuel to make spurious liquor in the coastal villages of Olpad and Choriyasi taluka. Hundreds of thousands of tones of wood is being smuggled from in and around the city to meet the requirements of the bhatti owners in the villages.

Over 60 spurious liquor bhattis are operating in the coastal villages in Olpad and Choriyasi taluka. The bhattis require huge amount of wood to prepare spurious liquor. A wood cartel is working in Surat district to supply the Teak wood, Kher Wood, and other wood varieties to fuel the bhattis.

Darshan Naik, general secretary of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has submitted a representation to the Surat district superintendent of police and the Surat forest department demanding action against the wood smugglers and illegal cartels supplying wood to the liquor bhattis in Surat.

Naik has raised serious questions against the forest department for their negligence in curbing the illegal supplies of wood to the liquor bhattis and protecting the wood cartels involved in cutting the teak, kher and other wood varieties in Surat and nearby villages.

“Without wood, the country liquor bhattis won’t be able to operate” said Darshan Naik, general secretary of GPCC. “While the cremation grounds are facing acute shortage of wood to cremate the dead bodies, bhattis owners are getting the wood supplies in abundance. I have urged the forest department and the rural police to initiate action against the wood cartels to curb the illegal activities”