Mumbai: Snakes frequenting posh Malabar Hill Society scare residents

A cobra had bitten Kharsheed Mistry's hand while he had tried to grab it

Residents of Godrej Baug at Malabar Hill have been having rather unwanted guests in their living rooms and parking lot - snakes. The residents have been living under constant fear of the reptiles for the last few weeks. A black cobra bit a senior citizen, Kharsheed Mistry, last week, sending him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at BD Petit Parsee Hospital.

The 72-year-old was in the parking lot on Friday afternoon when he noticed the snake and tried to grab it by its neck with the help of other members of the society but it stung on his right hand.

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The society's parking lot has become a scary place to enter for residents. Pic/Atul Kamble

While Mistry did not immediately realise the gravity of the snake bite, another resident Tehmtan Dumasia saw the injury and called for a taxi. "We rushed him to the Parsee General hospital where anti-venom injections were administered," Dumasia told mid-day.

The registrar of Parsee General Hospital, Dr Ashish Khandelwal told mid-day that Mistry was conscious when he was brought to the hospital but after the venom began spreading in the body, he collapsed. "He was conscious and alert. He narrated the incident to me but within five minutes he threw up and collapsed. These are the typical symptoms of a snake bite. He brought to the hospital in time," said Dr Khandelwal.

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Residents have now been asked to be cautious in the building premises and parking area. Pic/Atul Kamble

"Since he was having a problem breathing, we put him on ventilator where his condition improved in 10 minutes. He has regained consciousness after 24 hours. We have decreased ventilator support and are now shifting him to the general ward," Dr Khandelwal added.

The snake that bit Mistry was spotted in the parking lot hiding behind unwanted planks of wood and tiles. Mistry's daughter Jasmine Sanjana, who along with her family has been planning Mistry's 50th wedding anniversary celebration, has thanked the Dumasia couple and doctors for saving her elderly father's life.

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Tehmtan Dumasia and his wife took an injured Mistry to the hospital

There are 500 flats in Godrej Baug and all the residents are now scared of entering the parking area. "After the snake bite incident, I am scared to go in there," said Farokh Dotiwalla, a businessman living in Godrej Baug. "Most of the residents are scared to even drive their cars and hence have left their vehicles parked," said Rusi Gandhi, manager of Godrej Baug colony which is managed by Bombay Parsi Panchayat, adding, "Before starting the ignition of their cars, the owners first thump their vehicles to scare the reptiles" that have been hidden underneath since the last few weeks, possible due to the rising temperatures.

The residents have now been breeding mongoose and peacocks in the locality surrounded by lush greenery at Malabar Hill, while an advisory has also been issued by the Godrej Baug Residents Welfare Association (GBRWA).

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Advisory for residents

"We certainly will not want this incident to be repeated and hence caution every resident to be extra alert while walking in the Baug or stepping into the garage without a proper look around the place, even while stepping out of the car," the advisory reads, along with the following pointers:

• Ensure proper lighting in your garage
• Please do not try to catch the snake
• Raise an alarm and immediately call on the helpline numbers for professional snake-catchers
• Inform the security guard of the danger
• Ensure your garages are cleared of all the debris and unwanted items

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