Rural employment scheme workers falling prey to snakebites in Kerala

A large number of workers of the rural employment scheme engaged in clearing undergrowth are falling prey to snakebites annually in Kerala. According to Forest officials who track snakebite incidents and reptile rescue missions in the state, several of the fatal snakebite victims also belong to this group of workers.

It is estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 instances of snakebites take place in the State annually. Besides the employment guarantee scheme workers, agricultural and manual workers engaged in clearing the bushes along the pathways are among the ones who are most likely to fall victim to snakebites.

Flagging the issue of the workers increasingly getting bitten by snakes, Pramod G. Krishnan, the Chief Wildlife Warden (Kerala) had recently taken up the issue with the State government. “It’s estimated that nearly 60 per cent of the snakebite victims of Kerala are such workers as they are working in snake habitats and bushy areas where the reptiles usually take cover,” said Mr. Krishnan.

“Earlier, it was observed that it was the agricultural labourers who were mostly bitten by snakes. The introduction of mechanisation in farming has saved the agricultural workers from the attacks. Currently, it has been noted that the workers of the national employment guarantee scheme and those engaged in the clearance of undergrowth in farmlands and pathways are the ones bitten by snakes,” pointed out a letter recently issued to the State government, which recommended that the workers shall be provided safety boots and gloves, long-handled machetes and agricultural equipment. The workers shall also be made aware of the scientific methods to be adopted following snake bites and the need to take proper medical care, which would make the difference between life and death, the letter cautioned.

The availability of anti-snake venom in medical centres in remote or isolated areas is a matter of concern, he said. “Indian Spectacled Cobra accounts for the largest number of snake bites in Kerala and is among the venomous snakes, followed by the hump-nosed pit viper. A WhatsApp group of medical doctors and herpetologists, Snakes of Kerala- ID Quest, is actively working on identifying the snakes, which is crucial in deciding the medical treatment. The species identification is often done within 10 seconds of posting the images,” said Sandeep Das, a herpetologist of the group.

Currently, the anti-snake venom is available in hospitals at the taluk level and above. A process for identifying priority areas where the anti-snake venom has to be stocked is underway, said Dr. Ajan, the State coordinator for the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming.