Odisha Snake Helpline Urges State Govt To Raise Compensation For Snakebite Deaths

Bhubaneswar: Snake Helpline founder Subhendu Mallik on Saturday urged the Odisha government to increase the existing ex-gratia compensation for snakebite deaths from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh following a Supreme Court directive. The wildlife activist also demanded that the government repeal the clause 'other than during flood' to compensate those dying of snakebite during floods.

Citing the Supreme Court’s directions on compensation for loss of human life in cases of human-wildlife conflict, Mallik submitted his memorandum to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. "The apex court’s direction for Rs10 lakh ex-gratia under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme–Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-IDWH) was framed broadly and did not restrict the benefit to deaths caused by elephants, tigers or other large mammals. The scheme did not exclude death due to snakebite," Mallik said.

Odisha currently provides Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to the next of kin of a person who dies of snakebite under its disaster-relief framework. Snakebite was included among Odisha’s state-specific disasters in 2015.

According to figures placed before the Odisha Assembly in March 2026, 2,118 people died of venomous snakebites in Odisha between 2023 and 2025.

Mallik cited the Supreme Court’s judgment in In Re: T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India, delivered on November 17, 2025 in his representation. The case concerns the broader issue of human-wildlife conflict and compensation for loss of human life. The judgment is recorded as 2025 INSC 1325, WP (C) No. 202 of 1995.

In the directive, the Supreme Court accepted recommendations concerning human-wildlife conflict management and directed states to provide Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia, as fixed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under CSS-IDWH. The Supreme Court emphasised the need for coordinated action by different government departments and compensation mechanisms for loss of human life and cattle.

"Snakebite should not be viewed exclusively as a public-health issue. While snakebite is a major medical emergency, a fatal encounter with a protected wild snake can also constitute an interaction between humans and protected wildlife. Snakebite can simultaneously be a public-health emergency, a disaster-related issue and, where a protected wild snake is involved, a form of human-wildlife conflict," Mallik mentioned in his representation.

The Snake Helpline also urged the state government to coordinate an examination of the issue by the Law Department, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Health and Family Welfare Department and other competent authorities.

Snake Helpline is a voluntary organisation in Odisha working on rescue and rehabilitation of snakes and for human-snake conflict management since 2007.

Also Read

Haryana’s Cop Is Also A ‘Snake Woman’: Head Constable Lokesh Kumari Has Rescued Over 600 Snakes