Dead Snakes can still bite: Moodbidri Doctor’s warns of lesser-known danger
Moodbidri: In a rare but significant medical advisory, senior clinician and medical researcher Dr. Sadananda Naik of Alva’s Health Centre, Moodbidri, has raised an alert about the hidden danger of venomous bites from dead snakes.
In a review article recently published in the reputed international medical journal Transactions of Royal Society Trop Med Hyg. 2025, Dr. Naik highlights the serious risk posed by dead or decapitated snakes. His study, titled Envenomation by Dead Snakes: A Review, points out that venom can remain active for several hours or even days after a snake’s death.
The article explains that the nerves in a snake’s head and neck can continue to function briefly after death, making reflex bites possible. This means that even a lifeless snake, or one that has been killed and decapitated, can still bite and inject venom when triggered.
Dr. Naik refers to several documented cases from around the world where individuals have been bitten while handling dead snakes, leading to serious health emergencies. In many such instances, victims were unaware of the danger and required urgent medical attention, including antivenom treatment and intensive care.
“This is especially common when people touch the snake’s head, try to take photos, or keep the severed head as a trophy,” Dr. Naik noted. He added that many people, especially in rural areas, are unaware of this risk and tend to treat dead snakes casually.
Dr. Naik has issued a strong advisory urging farmers, rural residents, and people living in snake-prone regions to avoid touching or handling dead snakes with bare hands. “A dead snake is not a safe snake,” he warned. Instead, he recommends using sticks or tools to move carcasses and disposing of them safely away from homes and animals.
The review also calls for increased public awareness through educational campaigns to ensure that communities understand the risks and adopt proper safety measures.
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Delhi among 17 states, UTs without e-waste recycling facility: CPCB to NGT
New Delhi (PTI): The Central Pollution Control Board has informed the National Green Tribunal that 17 states and Union Territories, including Delhi, do not have electronic or e-waste recycling facilities. The national capital also does not maintain records on the interstate transportation of e-waste
However, the CPCB noted that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is among the seven state pollution bodies that have completed e-waste inventorisation covering all 106 categories of electrical and electronic Equipment (EEE) under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.
A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel was hearing the matter regarding e-waste management across states and UTs. The tribunal had earlier sought an action-taken report from the CPCB.
In its order dated February 12, the bench noted the CPCB had received responses from all states and Union Territories, except Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. It noted that 17 states/UTs, including Delhi, lacked e-waste recycling facilities.
According to the report, Delhi primarily disposes of its e-waste through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) or agreements between bulk waste generators and registered recyclers located outside the city, with most of such recyclers located in the national capital region (NCR).
The tribunal said that according to the report, 21 states/UTs, including Delhi, did not maintain records on the interstate transportation of e-waste.
"Seven state pollution control boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) have completed e-waste inventorisation covering all 106 categories of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) under the E-Waste (Management) Rules of 2022, and submitted it thereof to CPCB. These are Assam, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura," it said.
Maintaining an inventory of the EEE waste categories is critical for estimating the waste generated by each state/UT.
The tribunal noted the submissions of the CPCB's counsel that draft guidelines for nationwide e-waste inventorisation had been prepared and shared with all states/UTs and that the final guidelines will be issued after receiving the pending responses.
"In view of this, the CPCB is directed to file a further status report at least one week before the next date of hearing (on May 21),” the tribunal said.
