EXPRESS INDIA (New Delhi) 06 June 03 Haryana plans venom collection (Gautam Dheer)
Panchkula: To tide over perpetual shortage of anti-venom drug, the State government is considering setting up of a snake venom collection centre to generate sufficient in-house venom through snakes in the meager sub-mountainous, semi-forested terrain and farm land of the state including the Shivalik belt largely surrounding Panchkula. Highly placed sources said the Haryana Forest Department has sought the expertise of IRUDA Co-operative Society, Chennai, for conducting a study of the region’s snake habitat.
A team of the Forest Department was also sent to Chennai to work out the modalities of the survey with IRUDA community, renowned as snake charmers and expert as venom collectors.
Haryana Chief Conservator of Forests, R.D Jakati, talking to Chandigarh Newsline, today said the efforts to set up a venom collection centre in the state is being initiated following a request by the Health Department. He said the efforts were a long drawn process. To generate and manage snake venom requires professional expertise, he added.
Meanwhile, the initiation of the project has brought to the fore the need for a sustainable ecological balance, especially in regions with sparse forest cover. Not very hopeful of a large snake population in the area, experts instead observe that depleting snake population is a cause for concern. Reason; an imbalance of pre-predator relationship, especially in semi-forested area.
R.D Jakati said that increasing use of pesticides in farm land and other areas has given a blow to the frog population, a prey for snakes. ‘‘This has had an adverse effect on snake population’’, he said.
On the proposal, Jakati said that initially, the department would coordinate to conduct a survey of snakes in the identified areas including the Shivalik belt.
Haryana plans venom collection