80% of snakes killed are harmless, none are Russell's viper

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has said that due to growing panic regarding the appearance of venomous Russell's viper in various parts of the country, people are killing a large number of snakes, about 80 per cent of which are harmless. 

The Forest Department has set up 5 hotline numbers to tackle the situation. Every hour, an average of 40 calls come in each number. Some people even call for reward after killing snakes. 

After verifying the photos, the forest department has found that about 80 per cent of the killed snakes are harmless and non-venomous. In fact, none of the snakes are Russell's viper. People are killing snakes which are actually beneficial for the environment.