Snake Scare in Orissa School
Tuesday, 8 August, 2006, 11:28 AM
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
KENDRAPADA, Orissa: Classrooms in a school in Orissa have been closed down after dozens of baby snakes crawled out of its rain-damaged mud walls, school authorities said yesterday. The mud walls of the Bhageswari Girls’ High School at Jadua, a village in Kendrapada district, was damaged by incessant rains last week, school headmistress Aruna Das said.
The snakes might have been born in some bushes or anthills near the school. Due to the heavy rain, they might have entered the school building for safety, she said. On Saturday, some students found some small snakes, known here as ‘chitti’, in their classroom and raised an alarm. The teachers tried to kill some of them but they found dozens of baby snakes in a corner of the classroom.
The teachers along with some local residents killed at least 20 snakes. However, some villagers persuaded them not to kill the creatures as it would be a bad omen. The school authorities then requested a snake charmer of nearby Mangalpur village to lure away the reptiles but he refused, saying he alone could not catch so many snakes.
"
We have written to the district collector and the circle inspector of schools for help. Although we have closed the three classrooms, only 40 of the 200 students turned up yesterday fearing snakes," the headmistress said.
Said B. Sutar, a senior district education department official: "
We had written to higher authorities in the past months requesting them to release funds for a brick-and-stone building as the 50-year-old mud-walled building is unsafe, but no one listened to us." Meanwhile, it was not clear where the 200 students will study till alternative arrangements are made.
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