Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Bandapalem Village Maintains Seven-Decade Alcohol Ban Through Community Enforcement
Bandapalem is a village in Telangana where people say alcohol has been banned for about 70 years.
No one is allowed to sell or drink alcohol there.
The rule is supported by both women and men in the village.
People who break it may be fined or punished.
They may also be asked to leave the village.
Villagers have stopped people from opening liquor shops or making alcohol secretly.
Residents say the rule helps families live peacefully and save money.
However, people in the village do not clearly know why the ban first began.
Bandapalem in Telangana’s Suryapet district has banned alcohol sales and consumption for about 70 years.
Residents say violations can lead to fines, punishment, and expulsion from the village.
Villagers have collectively resisted attempts to open liquor shops and illicit alcohol-making units.
Women and men reportedly support the ban, which residents associate with fewer quarrels and greater peace.
Residents say anyone who wants to drink must travel to another village, while the ban’s original reason remains unclear.
- Who
- Residents of Bandapalem, including women, men, and small farming families, maintain the alcohol ban.
- What
- The village has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol for approximately seven decades.
- When
- The ban has been in place for about 70 years and is said to date back to residents’ parents’ generation.
- Where
- Bandapalem, in Telangana’s Suryapet district, about 130 kilometers from Hyderabad.
- Why
- Villagers say the ban promotes peace, prevents quarrels, and avoids spending money on liquor, although its original reason is unclear.
- Village
- Bandapalem
- District and state
- Suryapet district, Telangana
- Distance from Hyderabad
- Approximately 130 kilometers
- Duration of ban
- About seven decades
- Prohibited activities
- Selling or consuming alcohol
- Enforcement
- Fines, punishment, social pressure, and possible expulsion
- Community impact cited
- Residents associate the ban with peaceful coexistence and reduced spending on liquor