Pamula’s tryst with slithering friends...

Pamula’s tryst with slithering friends...
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Highlights

AniveniSrinivas(45), also known as Pamula Srinivas, who made it his life mission to protect the reptiles from extinction, died of a snake-bite last month while trying to catch a snake.

Manchiryal: AniveniSrinivas(45), also known as Pamula Srinivas, who made it his life mission to protect the reptiles from extinction, died of a snake-bite last month while trying to catch a snake. Even after the ‘Raktapinjari’variety snake bit him, Srinivas left it in safe custody of the park and went for treatment in the Singareni area hospital. Doctors shifted him to Karimnagar for better treatment after he suffered deterioration in eye sight. He died two days later, plunging the family into grief.

However, his wife, Krishnaveni, alleged that the death was caused due to negligence by doctors who failed to provide him timely medication. She appealed to the Singareni management the need for extending the benefits, including allowances that are given to worker who dies while discharging duty.

Since she had to take care of their two daughters—Swati and Anjali—thefamily wanted one of them to be employed in the SCCL. Son of Komrayya and Mallamma of Ramavaram in Kothagudem district, Srinivas worked as a welder in SingareniCollieries in Kothagudem. He was transferred ten years back to a workshop in the Mandamarri division. While discharging duty in the workshop, he used to catch snakes.

Considering his expertise, the management specially appointed him to catch reptiles in the Mandamarri park of the collieries. Since then Srinivas was being summoned to catch snakes whenever they were found in Singareni and other areas. He would reach the spot promptly upon receiving a phone call and place the reptile in a bag.

He did not stop at that, but after ascertaining the threat posed by ithe enlightens people how to save from its bite.In the process, Srinivas established a society, Friends of Snakes, with the objective of giving protection to people. He enrolled 100 members in the society which spread to Mandamarri, Srirampur, Manchiryal, Bellampalli and Chennur areas.

He was instrumental in the members becoming expert snake catchers after reaching the spots within 10 to 20 minutes of receiving a telephone call about the presence of a snake. Srinivas used to keep the trapped snakes in a specially created net and release them in the forest, after collecting a large number. He also used to inform doctors treating the victims the type of snake resulting in timely treatment.

By R Arun Kumar

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