East Medinipur Youth Fights Human-Snake Conflict with Awareness

• Ardhendu Das Mahapatra from East Medinipur is researching human-snake coexistence to reduce conflict.
• He educates communities in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha that most snakes are harmless, preventing their killing due to fear.
• His work emphasizes that killing snakes disrupts nature's balance, leading to an increase in pests like rats.
• He conducts awareness camps on snakebite first aid, the critical need for quick hospital treatment, and government compensation.
• Ardhendu also writes books on the relationship between snakes, humans, and nature, promoting understanding over fear.

Why It Matters: Ardhendu Das Mahapatra promotes coexistence by replacing fear with awareness about snakes.