Residents of Param village in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district are living under the constant fear of snake bites. In just a fortnight, at least three people in Param have died of snake bites. Besides, over fifty villagers have been bitten by what locals claim is a single ‘ichchaadhaari’ (form-changing) snake.
Sandhya’s 18-year-old daughter died after being bitten by a snake when she had gone out to relieve herself. Another woman was bitten by a snake while out to gather firewood.
Rattled by the rising snake bite incidents, villagers now fear going outdoors. Some even refuse to send their kids to school. Unable to find a solution, villagers have now turned to superstition to ‘pacify’ the ‘ichchaadhaari’ snake.
Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
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