Kerala Digital University has initiated a geotagging mechanism involving coconut trees and vehicles carrying the toddy to ensure accountability in the field.
A traditional toddy shop at Thasrak in Palakkad. Photo: K A Shaji
Aaanamayakki is a deadly chemical mixture that means “elephant tamer”. However, it has nothing to do with controlling rebellious pachyderms.
The locally available concoction is actually part of a trade secret of hundreds of toddy shops across Kerala: They blend it with a little original toddy sourced from the coconut plantations of the Chittur taluk in the eastern regions of Palakkad district.
It takes only half a litre of the heady concoction — the chemical mixture with toddy and water — to subdue any muscular man.
For regular toddy drinkers in God’s Own Country, the Aaanamayaki mix is more affordable than any Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand offered through the government’s retail outlets.
At a toddy shop in Meenakshipuram, Palakkad. (K A Shaji/South First)
Meanwhile, it may seem odd to name an alcoholic beverage after Jesus Christ anyplace in the world.
However, some toddy shops in Kerala are offering this concoction with the same name that, when consumed, only promises resurrection on the third day. And that’s only the second of the spurious liquors.
Then there is Manavati, gentle and authentic as the newlywed bride, as the name denotes. It bestows a shyness across the drinker’s face.
But all these spurious versions of Kerala’s most popular mild-intoxicant toddy will be a thing of the past if the technological innovation now being implemented in the sector by the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology (KUDSIT) bears fruit.
”Kerala made several failed efforts in the past to ensure the purity of toddy. Now, we are undertaking that mission using the best of technological innovations,” the university’s Vice-Chancellor Saji Gopinath told South First.
“As part of our resolve to cleanse the sector, the geotagging of all the coconut trees in the Chittur taluk of Palakkad is now progressing fast. The facility will help the consumer, toddy shop owner, and Excise and Police Department officials know from which tree the toddy was sourced,” he explained.
“We are also undertaking the geotagging of vehicles that carry toddy from Chittur to different destinations across the state,” added Gopinath.
He has also stated that it would be simple from now on to determine the source and route of the supplied toddy and identify the point at which the contamination occurred.
A million coconut trees in the Chittur taluk have already been geotagged. The tagged trees are being mapped to the outlets via blockchain technology. The aim is simple: The product should not be contaminated at any stage of its origin or supply chain.
Geotagging makes it easy to track the source of any product and prevents the end-user from getting an inferior product.
The university has undertaken this mission as requested by the state’s Tourism Department in the face of growing demand for pure toddy from visiting tourists, especially those from outside the country.
A toddy tapper at work at Chittur. (K A Shaji/South First)
In places like Kuttanad, Alappuzha, Kochi, and Kottayam, retail toddy outlets are also famous for their local mouthwatering fish and meat delicacies, which are supplied along with steam-baked tapioca.
In every state budget in the last seven years, the Kerala government reiterated its commitment to supply high-quality toddy not only through parlours but also through hotels with three or more stars. However, quality has remained a major hurdle in implementation.
As per details available from Kerala’s Excise Department, the toddy capital of Kerala is in the eastern portions of the Palakkad district, namely in Chittur, Meenakshipuram, and Kollengode.
Sourced toddy is regularly supplied to all other regions of the state from these locations.
In Chittur and its surroundings, around 2,750 tappers labour around the clock to harvest over 3 lakh litres of toddy every day by climbing large coconut trees.
Two main toddy-tapping customs are recognised in these areas: Chelichethu and Pandichethu.
While tappers from nearby Tamil Nadu abide by Pandichethu, those from southern Kerala are skilled in Chelichethu.
For a Chelichethu tapper, the daily climb up coconut trees starts at 3.30 am and lasts till 7 pm. To source the collected toddy and beat the blossoms, the tapper must climb a tree three times a day.
Usually, Pandichethu starts after midnight and lasts until the next morning. For some tappers, they must do it again in the afternoons.
The work is dangerous and can expose the tappers to vicious attacks by animals and reptiles.
Most toddy tappers in Chittur are estimated to be from different regions of South Kerala. There are more than a thousand Tamil Nadu natives as well.
The work requires a high level of competence and skill. But the payment for these tappers is peanuts.
Now, the government hopes the geotag-based quality assurance will make significant changes in their living conditions as there would be more buyers of quality toddy at fair prices.
The move is happening at a time when the yield of coconut groves throughout the Chittur taluk has begun to decline due to climate change and various illnesses that harm coconut palms.
Even during the sweltering summer, there was no disruption in the supply of toddy from Chittur to other parts of the state.
This was despite coconut growers and Excise Department officials affirming that the actual toddy production in Chittur was significantly less than the allowed amount.
It indicated that the spurious alcohol lobby was still strong.
Sources from the area claimed that the artificial substitutes were being made late at night inside the vehicles that carry the toddy to other parts of the state. They claimed that even Excise Department officials extended their help to this operation.
There are many fake substitutes available, some of which even include narcotics.
The Excise Department has issued 1,300 permits to facilitate the shipment of toddy from the Chittur taluk and guarantee supply to over 4,000 licensed outlets throughout the state.
However, quality inspections are nonexistent because of a staffing scarcity in the department.
There are many takers for fresh toddy. (K A Shaji/South First)
Environmentalist and social activist S Guruvayurappan welcomed the new move by alleging that the police and excise officials were hitherto components of the alternative spurious system.
According to him, the tacit backing of the Excise Department was promoting bogus alcohol sales from Chittur.
According to insiders, bootleggers create 1,000 litres of spurious toddy by mixing 100 litres of real toddy with 70 litres of illegal spirit and 100 grammes of each chemical ingredient with water.
A real toddy’s manufacture costs ₹150 per litre. The same amount of fake toddy can be produced for less than ₹5, and sold at licensed stores for at least ₹200.
Prohibition activists allege that the state consumes over 2,000 more litres of toddy per day than it produces.
Forensic chemical analyses have shown the toddy sold in Chittur contains chloral hydrate, a sedative and hypnotic substance. Spurious toddy is also made chemically using benzoic acid, lead, sulfated ash, and saccharine.
Local farmers claim that coconut production used to flourish in Chittur because of the unique qualities of the soil in this semi-arid area. They hope the technology will address their long-term grievances significantly.
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