Snakes, mosquitoes trigger suburban crisis: Over 8,000 plots turn life miserable for residents of Besa-Pipla

Time of India

20-07-2025

Nagpur: The suburban stretches of Besa, Beltarodi, Pipla, and Ghogli are not only witnessing a real estate boom but also an alarming surge in snake numbers. Thousands of open plots turn into swamps during monsoon, the overgrown grass, and stagnant water providing a perfect breeding ground for the venomous reptiles as well as swarms of mosquitoes.
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The suburb, tagged as a developing area, has over 8,000 open plots. The residents are scared of bites, from both snakes and disease-spreading mosquitoes breeding at these waterlogged plots.
Residents of areas like Central Excise Colony, Pipla, Besa, and more are forced to remain locked inside houses for fear of stepping onto a poisonous snake.
"We have filed multiple complaints about open plots to the Nagar Panchayat.
They even imposed fines on plot owners, but still the problem remains the same. During the rainy season, snakes are commonly seen outside and even inside our homes. We fear sending children out to play or going out of our homes for even an evening walk as we are afraid of snakes," said Shreyas Muley, a concerned local.
"There are thousands of open plots under Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat and after recent rains many of them are filled with water.
There is a big open plot behind the Beltarodi Police Station which has now become a dumping yard. It is already filled with water, and the dumping of waste has further fueled the mosquito menace. Citizens living in these areas are at a major risk of catching dengue or other vector-borne diseases," said Saransh Chakole, a resident of Beltarodi.
The rising number of snake sightings has also kept rescue teams on their toes.
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Sarpamitra Gaju Patle, who has been rescuing snakes in the area for years, said the calls never stop. "In these areas, there are all types of snakes, including venomous ones like cobra, Russell's viper, and common krait. Non-venomous snakes are also found in the area. At night, when there is less moment, the snakes often come out in the open," he said.
The Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat says it's trying to fight the growing menace, but the sheer volume of unregulated land is proving to be an uphill battle.
"There are around 8,000 open plots under the Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat. We have recently started taking out water from many plots and even putting anti-malaria oil in plots where water drainage is not possible. We are also regularly carrying out fogging. Many of the plots are illegal.
Still, we have imposed Rs 25,000 fines on many plot owners, but the issue persists," admitted CEO Bharat Nandanwar.
But for the residents, the official action is too little, too late. What was once sold as the city's emerging residential goldmine is now a ticking health and safety bomb — waiting for stronger, swifter intervention. Until then, dusk in these suburbs brings with it a chilling caution: watch your step, and your breath.