Odisha Reports 1,859 Snakebite Deaths in Two Years, ₹4 Lakh Compensation Provided to Families

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has recorded 1,859 snakebite deaths in the past two years, with 1,150 fatalities reported in the 2023-24 financial year and 709 in 2024-25, according to Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari. The minister shared these figures while responding to a query from BJD MLA Subasini Jena in the Assembly.

The state government considers snakebite deaths as a State-Specific Disaster, making victims’ families eligible for compensation under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The government provides ₹4 lakh as financial assistance to the next of kin through the Disaster Assistance Payment and Monitoring Systems (DAMPS) portal.

Pujari informed the House that out of the 1,150 snakebite deaths in 2023-24, compensation has been provided to 1,022 families, while 22 cases were rejected after verification, and 106 cases are still pending at various administrative levels. For 2024-25, compensation has been granted to 435 families out of the 709 recorded deaths, while 8 cases have been rejected, and 266 remain under review due to incomplete documentation at the Tahasildar, sub-collector, and collector levels.

District-wise data revealed that Balasore had the highest number of snakebite fatalities in 2023-24, recording 99 deaths, followed by Cuttack (96) and Ganjam (90). In 2024-25, Cuttack topped the list with 66 deaths due to snakebites.

The government has urged the public to remain cautious and has reiterated the importance of awareness programs, timely medical intervention, and proper documentation to ensure swift compensation for affected families.