Fear of the Russell's viper (chandrabora) has spread across the chars along the Padma. Since 2018, one or two people have died of its bite almost every year. The farmers and banana growers of the Padma chars are the most frightened.

To protect themselves from bites, farmers are wearing gumboots to their fields on the chars. Still, the fear has not gone away.

On 31 May, banana farmer Hafizur Rahman, 45, of Digha village died after being bitten by a Russell's viper in a banana garden on the char at Dadapur in Ishwardi, Pabna. Since then fear of the snake has spread across the chars.

The snake has become more common in Ishwardi over the past five years. Several people have reportedly died of Russell's viper bites at different times in the Pakshi, Dadapur, Sara, Majdia and Arambaria areas.

Kamal Hossain, a banana farmer from Charkurulia village, said Russell's vipers had increased sharply in the char banana gardens. Even working in gumboots, the fear of the snake was always on his mind. Hospital authorities must make sure antivenom is easily available for bites, he said; otherwise no one would come to work in the banana gardens and fields on the chars for fear of the snake.

Moktar Hossain, a banana farmer on Kamalpur char, said he worked in the garden with fear in his heart. Snakes come out from under fallen leaves and try to strike farmers. Six snakes had been killed there in the past few days. "I have heard they are very venomous. If they bite, people don't survive. Many don't go to work for fear of being bitten," he said.

Abdul Aziz, a worker in a banana garden at Degreechar, said he worked in gumboots for fear of snakes. Russell's vipers were sometimes seen in the banana gardens, and many workers like him did not want to work because of them.

Dr Shafiqul Islam Shamim, resident medical officer (RMO) of Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex, said everyone bitten by Russell's vipers so far lived in areas along the Padma. The snake is very dangerous, and anyone bitten must be brought to hospital immediately, he said.

Ishwardi upazila agriculture officer Mita Sarkar told Jagonews that Ishwardi is an upazila on the banks of the Padma, and Russell's vipers had increased in the riverside areas over the past few years. She advised farmers there always to carry a stick and wear gumboots when going to their fields. If a farmer is still bitten, he must be taken to hospital quickly and given antivenom, she said.

Dr Md Malekul Aftab, health and family planning officer at the Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex, told Jagonews that Russell's vipers had increased on the chars. A limited supply of antivenom was being kept at the upazila health complex for bite patients, and any snakebite patient who came would certainly be treated, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.