BHOPAL: Residents of Madhya Pradesh may soon be able to summon a trained snake rescuer as easily as they book a cab, with the state Forest Department preparing to launch a dedicated digital platform for snake rescue and release.
The SHIVAA app, scheduled to be launched in the first week of October during Wildlife Week (October 2-8), is designed to make snake rescues faster, safer and more transparent while strengthening the state’s response to snakebite incidents.
Madhya Pradesh is among the Indian states that record a high burden of snakebite deaths. Against this backdrop, officials say the application will go beyond merely connecting citizens with rescuers. It will function as an integrated public-safety and conservation platform, offering information on snakes, rescue procedures and emergency measures following a bite.
Under the system, a person spotting a snake will be able to request assistance and contact the nearest registered and trained rescuer. The app will provide guidance on maintaining a safe distance, along with clear instructions on what people should and should not do when they encounter a snake.
The platform will also address the medical emergency that can follow a snakebite. Users will receive immediate first-aid guidance and information on actions to avoid, as well as details of nearby hospitals and health centres where anti-snake venom is available. Officials hope this will reduce potentially dangerous delays in accessing treatment.
The app will maintain digital records of registered rescuers, including their training and proficiency, allowing the Forest Department to ensure that only authorised and adequately trained personnel undertake rescue operations. Each rescue can also be digitally documented, recording details such as location, species, rescue status and eventual release.
The resulting database could help authorities identify areas with frequent snake rescues or snakebite incidents and use that information to target public-awareness campaigns and improve response systems.
“The SHIVAA App will play a pivotal role in establishing effective coordination among public safety, snake conservation, rapid rescue operations and scientific snakebite management,” said Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Sameeta Rajora.
She described the platform as a “human interface, vigilance, awareness and action application”, adding that it would include standard operating procedures for rescuers, information on certified personnel and details of hospitals equipped with anti-snake venom.
The Forest Department is also preparing to train police home guards, frontline forest staff and volunteers in safe snake rescue and release techniques.
The move is aimed at ensuring that rescue does not end with simply removing a snake from a residential or public area. According to Rajora, rescued snakes will be released in accordance with defined protocols, including their relocation to protected or notified forest areas under Forest Department supervision.
The emphasis on monitoring also follows concerns over the activities of some informal snake rescuers. Officials have received inputs alleging that some rescued snakes may not be released in forests under departmental supervision and that snakes, particularly for their venom, may instead be traded.
Madhya Pradesh’s initiative follows similar efforts in southern India. Kerala introduced its SARPA app in 2020 to track snake rescues and releases, while Tamil Nadu launched the NAAGAM app in July 2025 to coordinate certified reptile rescues and record release data.
If successfully implemented, SHIVAA could place Madhya Pradesh’s snake-rescue network on a more organised footing—bringing together citizen assistance, trained rescuers, wildlife conservation and timely medical information on a single digital platform.
