Forest Deptt teams to check cruelty on snakes Myths related to Nag panchami

Divisional Forest Department has geared up to protect snakes during Nag Panchami festival to be celebrated on Monday. Along with implementation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act 1960, the Forest Department is trying to create public awareness to avoid worship of snakes to get rid of superstitious practices and atrocity against snakes. Even after knowing the fact that snakes never drink milk illegal practice of snake charming still exists due to absence of public awareness.

Divisional Forest Officer, Ravindra Mani Tripathi, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ informed that three teams of District Forest Department and Forest Strike Force have been constituted for checking atrocity against snakes. Teams along with registered wildlife activists will conduct random checking at public places to rescue snake charmers. In case of finding such kind of superstitious practices, residents may call Wildlife Rescue Squad on 9424792700 to rescue wild animals and taking stern action against accused. He added that there are special provisions to punish the snake charmers but there are no proper provisions to deal with traditional practice, we can only motivate and request these people to skip the task of captivating snakes, as it comes under cruelty to wildlife.

Now there is an urgent need to create public awareness to cope-up from superstitious practices. However, to some extent, with implementation of laws, open practice of snake charmers has been curtailed, but in fact that a large number of snake charmers along with their families from across the country turned up for Nag Panchami unveils sensitivity of the issue. These snake charmers along with many other hundreds of unidentified charmers will be visiting door to door fulfilling religious satisfactions of people in plead for some money, clothes or for other livelihood supports on Nag Panchami.

This festival symbolises the rich culture of respecting nature and its creatures like poisonous snakes for ecological balance. Nag Panchami festival schedules as per Hindu calendar midst monsoon season when snakes come out from underground holes, enter residential areas and targeted by humans. Nag Panchami festival is a sign of traditional values in which people accustomed to worship snakes instead of killing them.

Divisional Forest Officer Ravindra Mani Tripathi, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ informed that three teams of District Forest Department and Forest Strike Force have been constituted to check atrocity and cruelty on snakes

In case of finding any kind of superstitious practices, residents can immediately call Wildlife Rescue Squad on 9424792700 to rescue wild animals and take action against accused