Snakes are being spotted in New Town and Rajarhat regularly but awareness about what to do in case of a snakebite is still low.
On Monday, a 27-year-old man who worked as a security guard in New Town died of a suspected snakebite.
Sourav Naskar, the guard, was possibly bitten by a snake when he went into a pond after a game of football with his friends on Sunday in an area bordering New Town’s Action Area III.
He took ill at home and his family members tried to treat him by themselves, instead of rushing him to a nearby urban primary healthcare centre, which is equipped with anti-venom and supportive medicines and saline.
He was taken to the healthcare centre, in Jirongaccha, a day later. From there, he was referred to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Earlier this month, a 23-year-old man died after being bitten by a snake while he was walking in front of Downtown Mall in New Town.
In that case, too, crucial time was lost as his friend chose not to inform the police. Local autorickshaw drivers took him to a primary healthcare centre at least an hour after he was bitten.
Herpetologist Anirban Chaudhuri, who has conducted workshops on what needs to be done in case of a snakebite and also helps catch and rehabilitate snakes, said: “The area around the spot when a snake has bitten has to be wrapped by a crepe bandage or a piece of cloth cut from a sari.
“Tourniquets or narrow bands like coir ropes or rubber cords must be avoided. If one does not find a crepe bandage or a piece of wide cloth, it is best not to tie up the area around the wound.”
As the area can swell up, any ornaments such as rings or bangles must be removed and the person should be taken to a healthcare facility immediately.
“In case of a snakebite, don’t waste time by trying to locate the snake or photograph it. Head to a doctor first with the victim,” said Chaudhuri, who has conducted snake management awareness workshops in New Town and Rajarhat.
Dayalbandhu Majumder, a doctor who is trained in handling snakebite victims, also stressed the need of timely action.
“Any venom takes time to spread in the bloodstream. Unlike popular belief, snakebites don’t cause immediate death. If the patient receives treatment soon after being bitted by a snake, the damage caused by the venom can be minimised,” Majumder said.
A senior forest department official said New Town and Rajarhat have traditionally been home to a variety of snakes. Four poisonous species are commonly seen there: Monocled Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Common Krait and Banded Krait.
These areas were earlier open tracts of land interspersed with water bodies.
A senior official of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) said they have issued an advisory on what to do when somebody spots a snake.
The NKDA authorities have also circulated the contact number of snake catchers attached to the forest department. All urban primary health centres have been equipped with anti-venom medicines, the NKDA official said.
“We organise awareness camps across New Town for the residents,” the official said.
But it seems residents of the township are yet to learn how to react after a snakebite.
Akandakishori, where Naskar was bitten, is on the fringes of New Town and is part of a gram panchayat area.
Tapas Chatterjee, New Town MLA, termed the incident unfortunate and said he would ask the North 24-Parganas chief medical officer health to help them organise awareness drives and camps, where proper first aid techniques will be taught.
“I came to know that the youth and his family members had tried to suck out the poison, something that is shown in films but is not at all effective. In fact, that is a dangerous thing to do. There are several myths surrounding snakebites and people often approach quacks before medical professionals,” Chatterjee told Metro on Wednesday.
The NKDA said more awareness and first-aid training modules will be organised across housing complexes and co-operative societies in the township. Snakes have been spotted inside several housing complexes, including DLF Elita Garden Vista, New Town Heights, Sukhobrishti, Moonbeam and Starlit.
