By Mark Baber
March 27 – Mohun Bagan beat Pailan Arrows at the Kalyani Stadium on Sunday 3-2, in front of 5,000 spectators, blissfully ignorant of over a dozen poisonous serpents lingering nearby.
Ground staff found the menacing slitherers shortly after the I-league game had finished.
The presence of the killer reptiles is unlikely to lead to the venue being banned by the All India Football Federation, with chief executive Sunanda Dhar saying: “No, we haven’t taken such a decision yet. But we have instructed the authorities to take proper measures to ensure that snakes are removed from the premises of the stadium.”
The Kalyani Stadium is situated in the Kalyani town in southern Nadia in the state of West Bengal and is known for the “lush green ground of the stadium is one of the best maintained ground in West Bengal. The stadium has a Club house with plans of galleries surrounding the ground.”
It seems probable that, in the sweltering heat, the snakes were looking forward to a cool snooze on the concrete of the galleries and they were found near the dressing room staircase and on the field.
Mohun Bagan midfielder Denson Devadas said: “We had no idea about it. But I saw it in the news. It sounded scary though. Thank God, we were safe,” whilst team mate Rahim Nabi said “I for one would be afraid of playing there again.”
Kalyani municipality chairman P.K. Sur explained the situation, “This is a snake-infested area. So you can say that it’s us who have taken over their place! They are out in the open because it’s too hot.”
Venomous snakes are a major public health hazard in India, with a 2011 study suggesting around 45,900 people dying of snake-bite in 2005, 3,000 in West Bengal. There are a number of venomous species in the area including some of the most dangerous snakes in Asia;
Indian Snake League:
1. Monocled cobra (enjoys human habitats)
2. Spectacled cobra
3. Russell’s viper (most fatal bites)
4. Common krait (usually bites people in bed at night)
However, the snake is venerated by Hindus and they perform a useful function in keeping down the rat population so it is illegal to either kill or keep them.
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