Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Snake Awareness Symposium Highlights Antivenom Mismatch
In some villages in West Bengal, people live with venomous cobras and even worship them.
A meeting was held at a hotel in Rajarhat to talk about how to keep people safe from snake bites.
A scientist named Saurabh Ray said that the medicine used to treat snake bites in India is made from snakes in the south, which may not work well for snakes in West Bengal.
He gave examples of people who got too much medicine and still died.
The meeting also talked about how warmer weather is making snakes more active, so more people might see them.
The goal is to make better medicine that works for local snakes and to teach people how to stay safe.
Villages in East Burdwan coexist with venomous cobras, worshiping them as goddess Jhankeshwari.
A snake awareness symposium was held at Holiday Inn, Rajarhat, ahead of World Snake Day.
Monosha Biotech founder Saurabh Ray highlighted that India’s antivenom supply is based on southern Indian snakes, mismatching local venom and reducing treatment efficacy.
Ray cited cases where patients in West Bengal received excessive antivenom vials yet died, underscoring the need for region‑specific antivenoms.
Climate change is extending snake activity periods, increasing human‑snake encounters in urban areas like New Town.
- Who
- MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari, Monosha Biotech founder Saurabh Ray, residents of East Burdwan villages
- What
- Snake awareness symposium and discussion on snakebite treatment
- When
- July 16, 2024
- Where
- Holiday Inn, Rajarhat, West Bengal
- Why
- To promote coexistence with snakes and address antivenom mismatch
- Event
- Snake Awareness Symposium
- Date
- July 16, 2024
- Location
- Holiday Inn, Rajarhat, West Bengal
- Key Issue
- Antivenom mismatch
- Organizers
- Jain Brothers, Monosha Biotech