People Risk Lives to Retrieve Alcohol as Mahanadi Floods Rage

In Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, floodwaters from the Mahanadi have engulfed streets and bridges. A local spirits shop was inundated, causing rows of liquor bottles to float downriver. Residents, ignoring the danger, climbed onto a bridge and employed ropes, bamboo poles, and fishing gear to pluck the bottles from the torrent. The water remains at a high flow rate, making any rescue attempts perilous. Officials have urged the public to avoid the river’s edge, stressing that the priority must be personal safety, not salvaging alcohol.