Those belonging to the Irula community, have been granted permission to to catch snakes by the Tamil Nadu government, on Monday, March 28. The Forest department has granted permission to the community, which falls under the Scheduled Tribes category. Irulas, who are expert snake charmers and catchers, are part of the Irula Snake Catcher's Industrial Cooperative Society which has also been given permission to sell Rs 54 lakh worth of snake venom.
Chief Wildlife Warden Syed Muzzamil Abbas issued sale permits of the venom of 224 grams in the possession of the cooperative society. This society was the leading supplier of snake venom in the country with an annual turnover of Rs 4 crore but with the Forest Department not granting permission to catch snakes, the sales and profits from the venom had dwindled.
In the financial year 2021-22, the Irula cooperative society had managed sales of venom to the tune of Rs 30 lakh only, and the functioning of the society constituted in 1978 was almost crippled. However, the state government order issued on Monday has brought major relief to the community.
The Irulas were permitted to catch around 13,000 snakes annually but of late, the state Forest Department prevented the community from catching snakes and reduced the numbers to 5,000 which affected their business drastically. Officials with the Irula Snake Catchers Industrial Society said that the Madras High Court had granted the society permission to catch 13,000 snakes a year to extract venom but the Forest Department had been preventing this for the past few years.
The society officials said that in 2021 also, they were allowed to catch only 5,000 snakes and this led to the business of selling snake venom coming down drastically. The society, according to officials, at present, has the venom of spectacled cobras and Rusell's vipers but the anti-venom-making companies require the venom of common krait and saw-scaled vipers also.
The Irula society is the only authorised supplier of venom for the production of anti-venom medicines and if the society's functioning is crippled, it would lead to companies depending on unauthorised venom suppliers. The pursuit by the Irula society officials with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has led to the granting of permission for the society to catch snakes as well as to supply venom to anti-venom-making companies.
Studies have revealed that around 58,000 people die in the country due to snake bites a year and without an adequate supply of snake venom, anti-venom medicines cannot be made. This has now led to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department sanctioning permission for the society to catch snakes and extract venom as also to sell the stock of venom it has.
The Irula community had shot into the spotlight after the release of the film Jai Bhim, which projected the struggles faced by the community.
