By Tikaram Upreti, Jhapa, Apr. 18: On Saturday, 38-year-old Basanta Yongyang, a resident of Damak Ward No. 2, Jhapa, was busy tending his garden and clearing the blocked drain after a night of heavy rain, when suddenly he got bitten by a venomous snake.

 He was immediately rushed to the Snake Bite Treatment Centre run by the Red Cross Society and has now recovered.

Like Yongyang, six-year-old Ayushma Rai of Kamal Rural Municipality Ward No. 5 also got bitten while playing in a field beside her house.

Fortunately, she was able to get timely treatment and has now been discharged from the treatment centre.

Apart from storm and rainfall in the last two days and an increase in the temperature, experts also consider a lack of awareness as being a major contributor to the rising instances of snakebites. People often travel by night through dense undergrowth without using torch lights, which increases the risk of stepping or even trampling snakes along the path.

“The first step to combat any accident is prevention. People should pay attention to taking necessary precautions. On the contrary, most locals are found to be reckless,” informed Chief of the Snake Bite Treatment Centre, Devi Bhandari.

Overgrown weeds outside houses are rarely cleared. “These become breeding grounds for snakes. It is imperative to clear plants, and shrubs around the houses,” she added.