CHENNAI: The Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, a 44-year-old institution and India’s largest producer of snake venom, is fighting for its survival. The Tamil Nadu government’s ‘unreasonable’ delay in granting permission to catch snakes and sell venom has reduced many licensed members to daily-wagers and rag-pickers. The society has been consistently making profit, and in 2016-17, it earned a revenue of Rs 3.90 crore and made a profit of Rs 1.83 crore.
Though only 20 days are left for the fiscal year to end, the G.O. allowing Irulas to catch snakes and extract venom is yet to be issued. Only a temporary licence was issued to capture 50 per cent snakes from the annual quota. Snake catchers of the community say that because of such delays over the past few years, they could capture only fewer snakes and are feeling the pinch.
Currently, the co-operative society has 350 active members, all Irulas, renowned worldwide for their deep understanding of wildlife, especially snakes. C Karthik, a third-generation Irula snake catcher from Mambakkam village near Vandalur, said he couldn’t earn any income for the past six months. “My wife and I are both licensed snake catchers and, on an average, earned Rs 3,000 a month each. Now, I am working as a daily wager.”
TNIE visited the society’s snake farm, located inside Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, 60km south of Chennai, on Thursday, and was greeted with ‘empty’ earthen pots and stock board.
The Irula snake catchers said the daily venom extraction show for the public was also suspended due to lack of snakes.
A review of the Irula society balance sheet reveals that the last four years have been a struggle, with profits down 50 to 90 per cent. For instance, in 2016-17, the members caught 8,300 snakes, extracted 1,770 grams of venom, sold 1,470 grams, and earned Rs 3.90 crore in revenue with a profit of Rs 1.83 crore.
However, in 2018-19, the profit dropped to Rs 26 lakh. In 2019-20, when Covid-19 struck, the society recorded a loss of Rs 1.14 crore.
What triggered the crisis?
Every year in August, the society seeks permission from the forest department, which provides a limited number of licences and places restrictions on the number of snakes that can be captured depending on factors like snake population. The Irulas are allowed the catch snakes only between August and March.
Official records available with TNIE show that at 8,300, the highest number of snakes permitted to be captured in a year over the last 10 years was 2016-17. In the last three years, the numbers dropped significantly. In 2020-21, the forest department gave permission to capture just 5,000 snakes.
What’s worse is that, in 2021, the G.O. was issued only on March 29, just two days before the end of the financial year. This year too, the G.O. is yet to be issued.
When contacted, Chief Wildlife Warden Shekar Kumar Niraj said: “The forest department had given temporary licences months back to capture snakes without waiting for the G.O. As on date, 2,203 snakes were captured for venom extraction.
The G.O. for capturing the remaining snakes will be issued in the next few days.” However, a society official told TNIE that even if permission is given today, it is impossible to capture 3,000 snakes in 20 days.
“From April to August, we won’t be able to catch snakes since it’s the breeding season. At least, from next year, government should issue the G.O. in August and allow us to capture more snakes.”
(This story was produced with the support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network)