Snakes give sleepless nights to residents

HUBLI: Never before has life been so busy for snake catchers in twin cities, who are working day and night visiting households on increasing complaints of snake menace. There are three to four snake catchers in Hubli and Dharwad and their cellphones have been ringing non-stop, with each of them receiving at least eight frantic calls a day from residents.
Snake menace is on the rise in residential areas.In the last one week alone, snake catchers caught as many as 50 snakes in different parts of twin cities. Most of the snakes so rescued are released into the jungles of Mundgod and Kalghatagi.
Snake catchers Shiva Patil and Sangamesh Chakrasali told TOI that they get calls from many parts of the region including residential areas of Gokul Road, Settlement area, Nekar Nagar, Vidyanagar in Hubli and Vidyagiri and Malmaddi in Dharwad.
Even posh localities like Keshwapur, Deshpandenagar, Bhavani Nagar and Vijaynagar are not free from unwelcome guests crawling into houses and offices. Snake menace has given sleepless nights even to VIPs. Last year deadly cobras had sneaked into the residence and office of district minister Jagadish Shettar and MP Pralhad Joshi respectively. Two rat snakes were spotted mating at the newly bought property of MLA Veerabhadrappa Halaharavi in Deshpandenagar here last month. About 15 days ago, a snake was caught at MLC Vijay Sankeshwar's residence in Hubli.
Shiva Patil said there is a steep rise in the number of snakes straying into human habitat since the past two years, after property developers started converting farm lands located on the outskirts into residential plots on a large scale. Reptiles are increasingly finding their way into the cities in search of food.
He said houses having vacant plots in their neighbourhood are more prone to snakes. People usually dump kitchen waste on vacant plots, attracting rodents who in turn are chased by reptiles. Vipers make for about 50% of the snakes caught.
Sangamesh Chakrsali, who is on a mission to create awareness about snakes among the public said in many cases, people do not wait for them even after informing them about the snakes and resort to killing the reptiles on spotting them. HDMC special officer S H Naregal said the corporation helpline provides the contact numbers of snake catchers to those ringing up for help.
How to keep snakes away
Keep your surroundings clean. Do not dump kitchen waste on vacant plots or on roadside. Call if you spot a snake Shiva Patil: 9845151699 Sangamesh Chakrasali: 9739532310