Jhalanath Khanal Academy of Health Sciences to start herpetoculture

Kathmandu - The Jhalanath Khanal Academy of Health Sciences here is to start herpetoculture. The Lalbandi Municipality-6 based Academy is to raise poisonous snakes on eight bighas land. The federal government, the State no 2 government and the Lalbandi Municipality are together providing Rs 720 million for the Academy's herpetoculture and anti-venom production project.

Academy's chairman Rewati Panta said they have inked an agreement with the three governments in that connection. Panta added that the anti-venom produced by the Academy would be supplied to India in the beginning and later on it plans to establish a lab within the country.

He said the Academy has purchased 8.5 bighas land at Lalbandi Municipality-1 for herpetoculture. Nepal has been importing anti-snake venom as it does not have a lab producing this very crucial remedy. Many people die every year due to snake bite in the Tarai region. The Academy is named after Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leader and former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal.