Snake Bite Cases Rise in TS Districts Following Heavy Rains

HYDERABAD: Incidents of snakebites are increasing at an alarming rate in the districts following incessant rains that have been lashing the state for the past few days. Even city residents have reported seeing snakes enter their gardens and back yards.

In a fresh incident, a three-year-old Rudransh, from Navipet in Nizamabad district, died while undergoing treatment after two snakes bit him while he was sleeping on Friday night.

According to police, the house of couple M. Bhimaiah and Harshita (parents of Rudransh) collapsed partially due to heavy rains. They shifted to another room and were all asleep. Around 1 am on Saturday, the boy suddenly woke up and started screaming.

"Bhimaiah got up and noticed two snakes in the bedroom. Immediately, Bhimaiah killed them with an iron rod. The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed while undergoing treatment, police said.

Four persons died due to snakebites in the last seven days. On July 22, a father and son died after a snake bit them at their residence in Shankar Thanda of Rajampet mandal in Kamareddy district.

The deceased were identified as M Ravi, 40 and his 12 year-old son Vinod. Ravi was a farmer and Vinod was studying in a government school. They were sleeping when the snake entered their house.

Family members of the victims alleged that there was a scarcity of snake bite medicine in hospitals. Private hospitals in villages failed to procure equipment that could cure venomous snake bites. The PHCs have no medicines for snake bites as they had to be kept in refrigerators, which the centres cannot afford in the absence of regular power supply.