1,716 people died due to snake bites in three years in Odisha

An official said snake bite deaths account for about 37% of the total number of disaster deaths in Odisha. Almost 97% of the 1,716 snake bite cases were reported from rural areas.

At least 1,716 people have died due to snake bites in the past three years in Odisha, an official said. While the number of death cases in different disasters during the last three years in Odisha is 4,689, snake bites alone accounted for 1,716, deputy special relief commissioner PR Mohapatra said on Saturday.

“This accounts for about 37% of the total number of disaster deaths in the state,” he said.

The state government has declared snake bite as a state specific disaster (SSD) and made provision of compensation amounting Rs 4 Lakh for the next of kin of the victim, he said.

Special relief commissioner BP Sethi said the victims were mostly farmers and poor men and women in villages. He said 97% of 1,716 snake bite cases were reported from rural areas.

A latest analysis shows that 1,716 snake bite death cases are reported from 282 blocks of all 30 districts during the past three years.

The highest number of 164 death cases was reported from Balasore district, followed by 147 in Ganjam district and 145 both in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts, reveals the report of the Special Relief Organisation (SRO) and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority(OSDMA).

This apart, 114 deaths were reported from Bhadrakh district.

According to timing, most snake bites occurred during May to October. Out of the total 1,716 snake bite death cases, 1,464 occurred during these six months.

The highest number of death cases due to snake bites occurred in July (314) followed by August (306), June (281), September (253), May (156) and October (154) in the last three years.

Health and family welfare minister Pratap Jena said anti-venom is available in all government hospitals across the state.