It isn’t just water that pushes into houses in the city during monsoon. Snakes and reptiles have become common uninvited guests in rampantly urbanised Bengaluru, and the number of snakebite cases has been on the upswing.
H.S. Satish, medical superintendent, Victoria Hospital, described the rise in cases as drastic. “In May, there were 20 reports of snakebite. But in the first three weeks of June, we had more than 30 cases. Most of the victims were adults,” he said.
On average, St. John’s Hospital sees 70 to 90 cases every year. In the month of June, which marked the start of the rains, there is usually up to 12 cases.
During monsoon, the underground burrows of snakes are often flooded. The cold-blooded reptiles have no option but to come out into the open and head to warmer places — often, into homes. Fear and provocation leads to snakes biting humans.
Fringe dangers
Unsurprisingly, many of the cases are being reported in the fringes of the city, which have been built on former habitats of snakes.
“We have been rescuing 15-20 snakes every day. Areas like Banaswadi, Kumaraswamy Layout, Vidyaranyapura and Whitefield are among the most affected. I am rescuing four or five baby snakes every day in Banaswadi area alone,” said Mohan, rescue director, Vanamitra, a private organisation involved in rescuing snakes.It isn’t just the low-lying areas, which are prone to flooding, that have seen a spike in snakebite cases.
Sharath Babu, honorary wildlife warden, Bengaluru, said the increasing accumulation of garbage on the streets has also contributed to snakes venturing into areas with dense human population. “Garbage has led to an increase in rat population, and this attracts snakes. People need to understand their responsibility and manage their own garbage,” he said. He added that snakes have been rescued from high-profile areas such as the Vidhana Soudha and Raj Bhavan.
