In the swamplands along Bangladesh's mighty Padma River, snakes slithering through villages have become an unrelenting menace, leaving residents terrified and hospitals overwhelmed with bite victims. Doctors and experts warn snakebites are on the rise, driven by heavy rains, shrinking habitats and shifting farming practices.Bangladesh -- among the nations most vulnerable to climate change -- has seen nearly 15,000 snakebite admissions this year, with 84 deaths reported so far.

Farmer Ananda Mondol broke down as he recalled how a snake bit his ankle while he was working in a rice field this year."I couldn't talk, I couldn't move," the 35-year-old from Nimtola, a village in the northern district of Rajshahi, told. "I vomited, lost control of my bowels, and saliva was coming out of my mouth."He spent three days in intensive care, and is still plagued by sleepless nights and persistent muscle pain.The father of four has not returned to the fields since.

His wife, Sunita Rani, a traditional healer, said the family cannot afford further treatment.Across the villages of northern Bangladesh, similar stories abound. "Sometimes, they even lie with us on the bed," said Rezina Begum, as she washed clothes by the river.Another villager, Mohammad Bablu, told  he dreads walking through the fields. "My heart races," he said. "Only yesterday they killed seven snakes."The swamplands have always been a sanctuary for snakes, but floodwaters brought on by this year's extra heavy monsoon rains have pushed more of them from their natural shelters into human settlements.

At least 25 people have died from snakebites at the Rajshahi Medical College hospital since January, said professor of medicine Abu Shahin Mohammed Mahbubur Rahman.The hospital treated more than 1,000 cases in nine months, including 206 bites from venomous species such as cobras, kraits and the feared Russell's viper. "Many patients suffer acute kidney failure after snakebites," Rahman said.Nationwide, authorities have recorded 84 snakebite deaths so far this year, alongside nearly 15,000 admissions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)