Maharashtra Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar on Wednesday, 1 July told the Legislative Assembly that the state health department will send a formal proposal to the Law and Judiciary Department to declare snakebites a 'Notified Disease' — a move aimed at triggering mandatory reporting, resource allocation, and a structured public health response to what legislators described as a rising mortality crisis in rural Maharashtra.

Regional Venom Banks on the Agenda

Beyond the notification proposal, Minister Abitkar announced that a joint meeting involving the Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation, the Forest Department, and relevant agencies will be convened to establish regional Snake Venom Banks across the state. National experts will be invited to help draft a strategic policy framework for snakebite management.

The announcement came during the minister's reply to a calling attention motion moved by MLA Vikram Pachpute, who drew the Assembly's attention to rising snakebite fatalities and the urgent need to upgrade anti-venom infrastructure.

The Case for Region-Specific Vaccines

Pachpute raised a pointed scientific concern: while four major species of venomous snakes are found in Maharashtra, all bite victims currently receive a single polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) — irrespective of the species involved.

'The venoms vary drastically — haemotoxic, neurotoxic and cytotoxic — yet a single polyvalent vaccine is manufactured for all three. Furthermore, snake species change across geographies; a cobra found in Chennai differs from a cobra in Maharashtra. We need customised vaccines for regional venoms. Currently, Maharashtra only uses vaccines derived from Chennai snake venom. Can we establish regional venom banks and explore manufacturing monovalent vaccines instead of polyvalent ones?' Pachpute said.

He also asked whether snakebite could be declared a 'natural disaster', which would unlock a separate tier of state relief and compensation.

Shortage at PHCs and the Haffkine Funding Crisis

MLA Shweta Mahale flagged that farmers, agricultural labourers, and rural residents bear the heaviest burden of snakebites, and that rural hospitals frequently face shortages of anti-venom stocks. She called for a dedicated state policy on snakebite prevention.

A more acute concern was raised by MLA Jayant Patil, who stated that a severe funding shortfall at the Haffkine Corporation has brought the production of both polio vaccines and anti-snake venom to a complete standstill. Abitkar responded by promising that a meeting to clear the necessary funds would be held within the next eight days.

What the Government Said

Minister Abitkar assured the House that, as per standard guidelines, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across Maharashtra maintain adequate ASV stocks. He noted that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is actively working on developing species-specific vaccines.

'We have developed Anti-Snake Venom Kits that help determine whether a snake bite is venomous or non-venomous. Identifying the specific snake type will allow for highly targeted treatment,' Abitkar said.

MLA Arjun Khotkar also urged the government to extend its attention to health complications caused by venomous insect bites — a concern Abitkar acknowledged without a specific commitment.

If the notified disease proposal clears the Law and Judiciary Department, Maharashtra would become one of the few Indian states to bring snakebites into a formal disease surveillance framework — a step that health experts have long argued is essential to reducing the country's estimated 58,000 annual snakebite deaths.