Vasai-Virar logs 571 snakebites in 21 months; civic body urges prompt treatment

Vasai: Snakebites are on the rise in Vasai-Virar. In the roughly 21 months from the start of 2025 to September 2026, 366 people in urban areas and 205 in rural areas were bitten, a total of 571, according to the health department.

The harvest season, rising heat and the clearing of forest land for buildings and projects have disturbed snake habitats, sending snakes into residential areas in search of food and shelter. Among those found are venomous species such as the spectacled cobra, Russell's viper, the common krait and the saw-scaled viper. Several recent bites happened when people working in fields or cluttered spaces stepped on a snake without noticing it.

Three women have died of snakebite in the past two months. One, bitten in her kitchen at Agashi in Virar on October 7, died during treatment. Earlier, a woman in Vasai East died after being bitten in her sleep in September, and a woman working in a field in Virar East died after a bite in August.

Deaths often occur when treatment is delayed or the bite goes unnoticed. The municipal corporation said anti-snake venom has been made available at its hospitals and primary health centres, and urged people to go there at once if bitten. Snake rescuer Hemant Pawar said snakes had recently been caught in bungalows, buildings, on two-wheelers and in storerooms, and advised caution at home and in the fields.

Source: Loksatta