BHOPAL: Alha, a folk music genre and heroic ballad narrating the tales of two legendary warriors, Alha and Udal, is playing a new role in Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region — educating villagers on how to prevent and treat snake bites promptly to save human lives.As heavy rains cause snakes to slither into human settlements, making people vulnerable to snake bites, the South Panna division of the MP Forest Department is harnessing the popular appeal of Alha folk music to prevent snakebite fatalities. Annually, the Panna district reports over 60 deaths due to snake bites. The song composed and sung in the traditional Bundelkhandi narrative style of ‘Alha’ has been penned by noted poet Dr Suresh Srivastava ‘Saurabh.’It conveys the risks of snakebite, preventive measures, timely and appropriate anti-venom medical treatment (within three golden hours from the snakebite), and not approaching ‘tantriks’ and quacks. The song’s audio version will be disseminated widely through village forest committees and social media platforms.
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