India, March 17 -- In a significant community-driven move, residents of Niliguda village under Padia block in Odisha's Malkangiri district have imposed a complete ban on the sale, consumption, and brewing of liquor. The decision was taken collectively by villagers to address rising social issues linked to liquor consumption.

Under the new rules, anyone found drinking or brewing liquor in the village will be fined 5,000. The restriction is not limited to Niliguda alone. Similar prohibitions have been enforced in nearby villages, including Uskabal, Pujariguda, and Puruna Niliguda under the same panchayat.

These villages are predominantly inhabited by members of the Koya tribal community, who depend on agriculture and forest produce for th...