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In this ground report from the Diara region of Siwan district, located on the Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border, the Witty Chokha team uncovers how liquor smuggling continues unchecked despite Bihar’s much-publicized prohibition law. On paper, alcohol is banned across the state, but on the ground, it’s more accessible than ever before.
Locals reveal shocking details of how liquor ranging from cheap desi varieties to premium English brands is transported from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar using small wooden boats known as “Deng.” These operations take place mostly at midnight, when the river becomes the silent highway of an underground trade. According to villagers, police and excise officials are fully aware of this network, with bribes and “settlements” worth lakhs ensuring the smooth flow of business.
The report exposes an organized smuggling ecosystem operating 24/7 across the Diara region. Small peddlers ferry liquor in sacks and barrels, while bigger consignments move through river routes under official protection. What was meant to be a law for social reform has turned into a parallel black-market economy that benefits the corrupt and punishes the poor.
As Bihar Election 2025 approaches, the liquor ban is once again under public scrutiny. Has prohibition really curbed addiction, or has it created a profitable nexus between smugglers and officials?