HYDERABAD: Security personnel are worried about the presence of snakes at Golconda Fort and the Taj Falaknuma Hotel, both of which are located amidst dense thickets. The hilly terrains around the heritage areas are home to a variety of snakes and reptiles, which are often spotted by locals. Ismail, who lives near the Bibi Ka Chasma, says, “We have alerted snake-catchers regarding the presence of snakes on several occasions. They catch the snakes and shift them.”
Officials of the special protection group who visited the Taj Falaknuma enquired about the presence of snakes in the vicinity of the hotel, which is located on a 36-acre piece of land surrounded by dense vegetation. Not wanting to take any chances, the police plan to post a constable from a local police station to catch any reptiles in the area. “The hotel authorities have informed us that they have two trained snake-catchers on their rolls. They will handle any situations that may arise. There are some snake pits too,” says P. Yadagiri, the Inspector of Falaknuma. He says that according to the hotel authorities there have not been any instances of reptiles sneaking into the hotel, so far. The animals generally remain in the wilderness.
The police have also asked the Nehru Zoological Park and the forest department to post a few snake-catchers at the Golconda Fort, where the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will host a dinner for the delegates. K. Ashok Chakravarthy, the ACP of Asifnagar, says that a team of snake-catchers will be posted at the Fort as a precautionary measure. Pythons and other snakes have been caught there several times.
