Vengeful snakes, snakes that drink milk, cobras with a gemstone in their hoods… There is no dearth of myths associated with snakes in a country that reports about 58,000 snakebite deaths each year. Experts bust some myths in an interview with Gaon Connection.

Bites from venomous snakes kill over 58,000 people in India every year. What should be the immediate response in the case of snakebite? What is the right treatment for it? Why should the patient not be taken to a quack or an occultist? Sourabh Jha of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences explains.

The workshop was conducted by Aditya Tewari — a Lucknow-based reptile rescuer from a non-governmental organisation named Paryavaranam Society. The workshop was attended by the students who learnt about measures to follow in the event of a snake bite. Details here.

As part of its awareness campaign to inform rural residents about the measures needed to prevent deaths due to snake bites, Gaon Connection organised a street play where villagers not only enjoyed the play but also learned the dos and don'ts in case of snake bites. Details here.

In India, a life is lost every 12 minutes due to snakebite. Such deaths are preventable provided victims receive proper and timely treatment. A study by the ICMR has found that only upto 30% of snakebite victims in rural India seek treatment in hospitals.

Rescuing snakes is not an easy job. How are these rescues carried out? How dangerous can they get? Meet some volunteers of a non-profit Paryavarnam, who rescue snakes and thereby also save human lives.

Snakebites claim the life of one person every 10 minutes in India. New Delhi-based Indian Council of Medical Research is developing a diagnostic tool to identify if the snakebite is of venomous or non-venomous snake. Gaon Connection spoke with its medical scientist Joy Kumar Chakma.