India, June 1 -- The spurious liquor tragedy that claimed 16 lives in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad is not just an isolated incident about illegal bootlegging but points to a deeper crisis. It highlights how civic authorities consistently choose reactive damage control over proactive prevention.

What stands out most is what happened in the first few hours after the deaths were reported.

On May 28, when five people died in Dapodi, local residents were already alleging that spurious liquor could be the reason. The suspicion was not coming from experts or politicians. It was coming from people on the ground who knew what had happened and what the victims had consumed.

Yet, authorities were quick to dismiss the possibility.

Statements were is...