Bhubaneswar: The State Government has planned to provide life insurance coverage to the skilled persons engaged to rescue and release snakes, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallik said here today.
As per proposal, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department will bear the insurance premium cost while the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will provide training to snake handlers, she said.
After receiving a detailed proposal from the Forest and Environment Department, the training programme will be started, Mallick said.
Snake Helpline members welcomed the move of the State Government for their welfare and said it will encourage them for better protection of wild reptiles.
Last month, the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department had issued guidelines for rescue and release of snakes from human habitations by certified snake handlers.
As per the guidelines, rescue of snakes must be limited to the snakes entering the human habitation irrespective of whether venomous or non-venomous and rescue of snakes shall be attempted only in such cases where their presence is a threat to life.
Only the certified snake handlers can participate in the rescue and release operations and they are required to adhere strictly to the stipulated protocols, failing which will invite penal actions as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it said.
The snake rescue work should be confined to instances wherein the snakes have entered human dwellings, regardless of whether they are of venomous or non-venomous species.
The guidelines further said that these handlers are volunteers and will not receive remuneration for their services from the Forest Department, which may also use their services to create awareness in the local population on the ecological importance of snakes, identification of snakes and how to avoid snake bites.
The Forest Department also plans to create a database of all incidents of rescue and release of snakes in the State and to maintain and update it. It will ensure that no illegalities or malpractices may occur with rescued snakes.
Stating that incidents of snakebites are common in Odisha and have been certified as a state disaster under the disaster management authority, it said 40% of total disaster deaths are attributed to snakebites alone in Odisha.
In the last 7 years, Odisha has had approximately 6,351 incidents of snakebites. Till July this year, snakebite incidents have claimed at least 34 lives.
