Youth campaign for biodiversity protection

PCT members rescued 1,500 snakes in seven years

Kothagudem (Khammam): Ten enthusiastic youths here have formed into a team with an objective to protect people from snakes and also protect snakes to maintain biodiversity. The youths have founded an organisation Praanadhara Charitable Trust (PCT) and Snake Rescue Team seven years ago.

They readily help people when snakes enter houses by rushing to the places and catching the reptiles. The wide variety of snakes caught by them includes cobras and pythons. They provide their services to people in Khammam district round-the-clock and proceed to the spot immediately on receiving a phone call from people that a snake has entered a house.

The Trust has been started by a local person who is popularly known as Gym Santosh. Some of the members in the team are employees of Singareni Collieries Company Limited while some others are working in private companies. Santosh and his friend Poorna Kumar have undergone training in catching snakes.

The remaining members of the team assist them.During the last seven years, members of the Trust caught about 1,500 snakes at different places in the district. Once they catch a snake, they either hand it over to the officials of the forest department or release it in deep forest area.

Members of the Trust are engaged in a campaign for protection of different varieties of snakes to protect biodiversity. The local residents praise the expertise and courage displayed by the youths in catching snakes. “These youths are protecting lives of people and snakes,” a local man pointed out.

The youths are also eager to extend their services to neighbouring districts. However, they are looking for some support from the government. They require snake rescue equipment and a vehicle which they can use to move from one place to the other.Members of the Trust also organise blood donation camps.