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Premshankar Chaurasia of Narsinghpur Pathra village under Chainpur block of Medininagar (Palamu) district in Jharkhand was sleeping with his family on the night of July 10-11. That is when a snake bit him and his two sons, 10-year-old Dev Kumar and six-year-old Arjun.
According to Chaurasia, Dev vomited at around 12.30 in the night. He showed his mother a wound on his neck and told her that a rat had bitten him. “After some time, the younger son's health deteriorated, and we too felt uneasy. We understood that he must have been bitten by a snake. Meanwhile, we saw a krait snake in a corner of the room.” The family members admitted all three to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital. Then, both children were sent to RIMS (Ranchi). On the way, their health deteriorated, and they were admitted to Tumbagda Hospital. Both later died.
Chaurasia is now left with two daughters. On July 11, a couple was bitten by a snake in Bansdih village of Palamu. Both were admitted to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital for treatment, where the woman, Shakuntala Devi, died.
These incidents of snakebite are just the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of snakebite incidents do not come to light in remote rural areas surrounded by forests, plateaus and rivers. They are not reported.
In the last three months, snakes have bitten at least 1,500 people in Jharkhand. At least 25 people have died in these incidents. The number of snakebite incidents is increasing every day. However, these incidents are more in tribal areas, where people prefer going more to faith healers to get treatment.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had instructed all states to classify snakebite as a notified disease. But even after eight months, the Jharkhand government is yet to do so. This delay can seriously harm the goal of eliminating deaths due to snakebite within the next five years. On the other hand, many states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha have already implemented this instruction.
The Centre, in its directive issued to all states under the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite in India by 2030 (NAPSE), had said mandatory notification of snakebite cases in the scheme is crucial for accurately tracking incidence, evaluating interventions and identifying high-risk areas.
Praveen Karna, head of the department of epidemic diseases in the Jharkhand government, said the process to classify snakebite as a notified disease in the state is underway. The document has to be prepared and sent for cabinet approval. According to him, a provision of Rs 7 crore has been made in this financial year to avert the risk of snakebite. As of July 23, 77,423 doses of anti-venom were available in stock in all hospitals.
Jharkhand, which has a geographical area of 79.71 lakh (7.971 million) hectares, has 23.28 lakh (2.328 million) hectares (29 per cent) of forest land. Snakebites account for three per cent of the state’s disease burden. Down to Earth (DTE) collected data on snakebites and deaths by talking to civil surgeons, hospital deputy superintendents and epidemiologists of several districts. The investigation showed that apart from the common krait, the Indian cobra, Russell’s viper and bamboo viper are more active in the state.
In Garhwa Sadar Hospital of Palamu division, 176 cases of snakebite were reported from May 1 to July 23, while the number of deaths is three. In Latehar district, 49 cases of snakebite were reported during the same period and one death has been recorded. On the other hand, 105 cases were reported in Medininagar (Palamu) from April 1 to July 14. The death toll is 4.
In the last three months, 20 cases of snakebite have been reported in Sadar Hospital located in the tribal-dominated Khunti district. There is a record of two deaths, but Civil Surgeon Nageshwar Manjhi said both victims had died on the way to hospital. On the other hand, 121 cases of snakebite have been reported in Lohardaga Sadar Hospital from May 1 to July 24 and 106 cases of snakebite have been reported in community health centres (CHC) including Gumla Sadar Hospital from May 1 to July 23.
One hundred and three people were treated in Sadar Hospital and CHC of Seraikela district of Kolhan division. According to a district surveillance report in East Singhbhum, 33 cases of snakebite were reported in two-and-a-half months and 58 in MGM Hospital. Three people have died here between April and July.
On the other hand, the maximum number of 170 cases of snakebite were reported in the Sadar Hospital of the tribal-dominated West Singhbhum district during the last two-and-a-half months. Five people died in May and June. Thirty-two people were treated in Sahibganj Sadar Hospital of Santhal Pargana division from May 1 to July 24. One died. Earlier, in the month of March also, one person died due to snakebite. As per the information received from Giridih Sadar Hospital of North Chotanagpur division, 111 people suffering from snakebite were treated from May 1 to July 25.
On June 26, in Jamakel village under Lapung block of Khunti district, 12-year-old Aniket Horo alias Antony Horo of a tribal family died after being bitten by a krait snake while sleeping on the ground. On receiving the news of her grandson’s death, Ropni Horo suffered a heart attack and died as well. Another incident came to light from Karma Manda Toli of Kuju OP area of Ramgarh district. On the night of June 26, 15-year-old Vishal Munda was bitten by a krait snake while sleeping in this Tola. He was found dead in the morning. People searched for the snake and killed it too.
Importantly, the state government has classified snakebite as a ‘state specific disaster’. State disaster management secretary Rajesh Sharma told DTE that there is a provision of Rs 4 lakh compensation in case of death due to snakebite. The disaster management department has provided adequate funds to the districts. Postmortem report or verification by the deputy commissioner is necessary for the cause of death.
Nagbhushan, epidemiologist of Gumla Sadar Hospital, explained, “Kraits often bite in the evening or in the darkness of night. In many cases, this bite is painless. In a few hours, the poison starts spreading and becomes fatal. On the other hand, cobras and Russell’s vipers strike. People thus usually know that a snake has bitten them in such cases. Caution is necessary to avoid snakebite. And if a snake has bitten you, reach the hospital as soon as possible. But in rural areas, people usually head to a faith healer.
Wildlife experts believe that a large-scale awareness campaign and monitoring is necessary in Jharkhand regarding snakebite. The state’s former principal chief forest conservator (wildlife), Lal Ratnakar Singh told DTE, “During the rainy season, the snakes’ natural habitat is damaged. Hence, they venture out. If snakes like cobras, Russell’s viper or kraits bite, then a victim’s survival depends on whether the person gets timely and complete treatment or not. Whereas a large population in the rural and remote hilly areas of Jharkhand does not get this facility.”
He further said, “The rainy season is the breeding season for snakes. When the baby snakes come out, the female snakes also venture out. Fear psychosis is also a big factor. If the snakes fall under your feet or you see them passing by, they bite as soon as they sense danger. In many cases, the human being also becomes extremely nervous after being bitten by a snake.”
Siddharth Sanyal, director general of health services in Jharkhand, told DTE that the treatment facilities in government hospitals in the state have improved to tackle cases of snakebite. Medical personnel are being trained from time to time. “Of course, snakes are important for environmental balance and snakebite is a medical emergency. Instead of panicking or believing in superstition, one should immediately go to the nearest hospital.”