A Trinamul-run gram panchayat in East Burdwan’s Purbasthali hired snake catchers after three villagers died of snakebite and at least 40 more had to be hospitalised in the past fortnight.

The gram panchayat spent Rs 20,000 from its own funds to hire the snake catchers.

On Monday, the 15-member team caught six poisonous snakes — four cobras, a common krait and a Russell’s viper — at Dirghapara village in Nadanghat gram panchayat.

But the incident also revealed that the local administration and forest department were not on the same page.

Khairat Ali Sahana, the chief of Nadanghat gram panchayat, said they contacted their BDO first. “Initially, he said he would contact forest officers. A few days on, he directed us to get people who could catch snakes and said the gram panchayat would pay. So we did that,” he said.

Nitish Bala, the BDO of Purbasthali I, said: “I spoke to the forest department but officials told us that they could catch snakes only if villagers showed them the reptiles. As snakebites were reported daily, panchayat officials told us that they would do something.” Katwa forest range officer Sukanta Ojha contradicted Bala. “The BDO did not specifically tell us about the place. I think it was a miscommunication,” Ojha said.

Sources said poisonous snakes had become a nightmare for some 1,200 people of Dirghapara these past two weeks, especially as a seven-year-old, a 16-year-old and a farmer did not recover from snakebites.

Most snakes hid in rat holes, Palash Mal, one of the snake catchers, said.

The captured snakes will be freed in forests.

Sheikh Kamaluddin, a panchayat member and Dirghapara resident, said things had come to such a pass where villagers were afraid to stay at home as most snakebites had happened inside homes.

Villagers said that this was the first time when so many snakes had entered their homes and so many people were bitten by snake. “We had been passing sleepless nights. Two persons were bitten by snakes last night (Sunday), too,” said Dirghapara resident Toton Sheikh.