BHUBANESWAR: Security forces conducting anti-Maoist operations in Odisha will soon receive anti-snake venom alongside their standard weapons, providing protection against venomous snakes in the thick forest areas.
In a first for the state, the Odisha Police initiated a procurement process by issuing a tender to identify a supplier for anti-venom medications, specifically for officers involved in counter-Maoist activities.Currently, the personnel depend on snake repellent powders and chemicals, especially carbolic acid, to keep the reptiles at bay. In case of snakebites, the injured victims are evacuated from forests and shifted to hospital.
“We plan to procure 100 anti-venom kits initially to protect our personnel from Cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper bites.
The kits would be effective against local snake species and contain necessary accessories such as syringes, tourniquets, and usage instructions. All products would comply with national and international health and safety standards and be certified by relevant health authorities,” a senior police officer told TOI.
The security personnel would carry the anti-venom kits with them while embarking on anti-Maoist operations. They are trained to use intramuscular (IM) shots in emergency situations before they are rushed to hospital for treatment. “Since doctors cannot accompany the force in anti-Maoistoperations, the jawans are trained to use the IM injection,” the police officer said.
The security personnel, who often spend weeks in dense forests to carry out combing operations, mostly find threats from snakes while sleeping at night. Though not a single casualty due to snakebite occurred in the force in the last five years, some personnel sustained injuries during the period.
“We normally spray carbolic acid around our places if night halts. If we are supplied with anti-venom kits, this would be a life-saving measure. This preventive measure can immediately save someone before the treatment starts in hospital,” an anti-Maoistpolice officer said.
Another officer involved in anti-Maoistoperations said snakes posed more threat than wild bees, bears, and boars in the forests. “Since we move in groups, wild animals do not come near us. Snake is a luring danger because they are found at every step and often fall on us from branches,” he said.