Women group launches awareness drive against drinking in Bastar

Bastar (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 17 (ANI): A group of women in Chhattisgarh's Bastar has launched a drive to spread awareness against alcohol consumption.
The Blue-Gang in Bastar's Shanti Nagar Ward, is a group of 13 women, keeping a close watch on the drinking menace in the area.
Apart from just keeping a watch, these women of the Blue Gang also provide counseling to alcohol addicts and encourage them to choose a better way of living.
The volunteers focus to spread awareness especially among bus, auto drivers and rickshaw drivers about its ill-effects.
The women patrol in the Shanti Nagar area from eight in the evening to twelve at night and intervene whenever they witness a fight, or any hotel is open beyond the specified time.
These women visit all the spots in the area such as bus stands, hotels, dark corners in the road, where there are higher chances of problems arising from alcoholics.
Talking to ANI, one of the women of the Blue Gang said, "We face problem at our own home when our husbands drink alcohol and create a ruckus at home, that's when we decided to tackle the issue. We want the others to change along with our husbands."
One of the police officer from the Shanti Nagar area also heaped praises on the Blue Gang and said that the women are doing a great job at keeping the alcohol problem in the area within check.
He told ANI, "These women are doing a great job. They are visiting all the susceptible areas and intervening whenever there is a problem. The police are also helping them in this initiative."
Even when the area is reeling with Naxal terrorism, alcoholism emerged as the new problem that is affecting several homes and distracting the youths.
The recent rise in the alcohol problem, and with vehicle drivers indulging in irresponsible drinking, the area has witnessed quite a few unfortunate accidents.
However, these could not force the women of the Blue Gang to remain in the confines of the four walls, instead, they are up in arms and beaming with conviction to put an end to the menace for once and all. (ANI)