RAJSHAHI, Nov 27: Aman paddy cutting is seriously hampered in Barind region due to attacks by Russell's vipers.
So far, over 100 paddy-harvesting labourers died from viper-biting in the region in recent times.
At present, farmers are not going to their fields. They are also not getting alternate option to finish Aman cutting.
According to local sources, the scare of the viper is prevailing elsewhere in the region covering three districts, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Naogaon. Seasonal paddy labourers are not coming from other areas.
In the Barind region, the Aman harvesting season has begun in the beginning of Agrahayan. The harvesting time continues for one month.
Wide ripe Aman fields are lying in the region.
The Aman paddy cutting is hampered across about 9,320 square kilometre Aman fields in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon.
While talking with this correspondent of The Daily Observer, farmers said, the menace of Russell's vipers (Chandrabora) has increased in paddy fields; over these years, over 100 labourers died from snakebites.
Vipers are huge in Rajshahi's Godagari and Tanore, Chapainawabganj's Amnura, Nachol, and Gomastapur, Naogan's Niamatpur, Sapahar, and Porsha areas.
These vipers come out of their isle holes to catch rats in ripe paddy fields. Labourers get bitten while cutting paddy plants. After bitten, if anyone gets cured he is to bear impact for a long time to return to normal life.
A viper-bitten labourer of Nachol Ruhul Amin said, while spraying insecticide in his field viper bit him. He was rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). He was cured after four-week treatment. But it took him one year to regain normal life.
This time he didn't cultivate paddy on his 12 bighas of land in fear of vipers.
Wearing knee-level gumboots, agriculture labourers are carrying out paddy cutting in the Barind region.
But in many paddy fields ripe paddies are dropping.
A farmer of Kendua Village in the region Sonirul Islam said, six labouers died in the last few years from snakebites in the village. This year labourers didn't come from the outside, he added.
He further said, farmers are in uttered disarray with their ripe Aman fields.
A farmer of Khirisha Village in Godagari Upazila said, he is not getting labourers to cut his 10 bigha ripe Aman fields. He reported paddy dropping in his fields.
In the last week, labourer Shariful was bitten by viper. He was treated in the hospital. He is now staying at home. In the last one week, three Russell's vipers died.
A labourer of Adda area in Chapainawabganj Ashraful Islam said, "In the last few years, we came to cut paddy around Nezampur Village. But this year the menace of snakes is higher in these fields. So this year, I did't go there."
According to RMCH sources, 22 paddy-cutting labourers died from snakebites in the last year; besides, 579 viper-bitten patients cured; and this year, so far 16 ones died in the last 11 months.
Rajshahi Civil Surgeon (CS) Dr Sayed Mohammad Farooq said, they registered names and numbers of snake-bitten fatality. A step has been taken to supply anti-venom at the upazila level, the CS added.
Munjer Alam Manik, president of Chapainawabganj Agriculture Association, said, agriculture labourers are mostly bitten by Russell's vipers. If the paddy cutting is done by agriculture machines, it is possible to get farmers saved from the snake-biting, he added.
It needs to spread the paddy-cutting machine at the field level, he added.
Besides, he further said, the supply of anti-venom supply needs to be increased in upazila hospital complexes.
Additional Director of the Rajshahi Agriculture zone Shamsul Wadud and Deputy Director of Chapainawabganj Agriculture Department Dr Polash Sarkar said, paddy-cutting labourers have been advised to wear coarse jeans pants and gumboots in the Barind region. They are regularly being made aware through mikes from mosques, they added.
