Come monsoon, Chhattisgarh’s Naglok is flooded with snakebites

The biggest fear among the locals is the krait, a snake that is 15 times more poisonous than the common cobra. Its venom is a powerful neurotoxin which causes muscle paralysis and respiratory failure. Classified under the genus Bungarus, three of its species — common krait, black krait and banded krait — are mainly found in the Naglok region, which spreads over about 700 sq km.

According to officials, the region’s climate and forests are fertile grounds for the snakes to breed. With the arrival of rain, the flooding of snake holes forces the kraits to move out and seek shelter in the cracks of walls and beneath the roofs of houses. They usually remain dormant during the day and slither out at night in search of food — between June and September. Their ‘hunting ground’ happens to be inhabited by humans, thus the spike in casualties during these months.

Mohan Sai, president of the district Sarpanch Sangh and a member of Farsabahar’s village panchayat, claims that the situation is alarming in the region. “Old timers say that at least 40 species of snakes are present in Farsabahar area alone,” Sai pointed out, adding that despite the growing number of snakebite deaths over the years, no survey or scientific study has been carried out to identify the species or to find a solution to the problem.

“Despite awareness campaigns, many people still sleep on the floor and fall prey to snakebites,” Tapkara MLA Bharat Sai told The Indian Express. Another problem, pointed out by P Suthar, block medical officer, Pathalgaon, is that several victims are first taken to baigas and ojhas for treatment. “We regularly educate the people about the need to take the victim to the nearest hospital where the anti-venom vials are available,” he said, adding, that the villagers are also being trained in first aid. However, he added that it could be helpful at times to allow the locals to consult traditional practitioners, even if it’s only to allay their misgivings about modern medicine.

Doctors and health workers, who chased away baigas and ojhas, were told to let the tribals carry on the traditional practice. This had the desired effect. “Once the victims survive, these people (ojhas) take the credit. Still, it does help save lives,” Pandey added.

Ramesh Sharma, a journalist from Pathalgaon, said efforts by successive governments, during undivided Madhya Pradesh and even after the formation of Chhattisgarh, ended up as mere experiments to tackle the crisis, without any visible results. “All the efforts were short-term and directionless. Initially, a campaign was launched to create awareness among the poor against sleeping on the floor. Then a few NGOs were roped in to distribute cots to the poor villagers,” he recalled, adding that new ideas to deal with the problem cropped up when new officers were posted in the area. Some even advised tribals to rear mongooses and peacocks to fight the snakes!

Concerned over the situation, forest officials proposed setting up a ‘Sarp Gyan Kendra’ (snake knowledge centre) in Tapkara region, which would cover 328 sq km of the affected area. They also planned to breed the most endangered species of snakes found in the Naglok region. But while the centre received an initial grant of Rs 10 lakh out of the Rs 40 lakh allocated to it, the remaining funds never arrived.

Meanwhile, at the state Government-level, forest department sources said, the idea of developing a snake knowledge centre got “converted” into a project for establishing a snake park. A proposal to this effect was forwarded to the Centre for approval, but it was turned down with the Centre pointing out that permission could be granted only if the park had international quality standards and facilities. Besides, the idea was also to develop it as a habitat for several species of snakes and to use their venom to prepare antidotes. This became an obstacle, as approval from the Centre is mandatory for any commercial exploitation of wild animals.