Erumely: Local residents have given complaints to the Collector and DFO after 35 cobra hatchlings were released into the forest near human habitat areas in Erumely.

The 35 cobra eggs had hatched at the forest department's office at Parampuzha in Kottayam recently. The snake hatchlings were released into Kanakappalam forest a week ago. However, the local residents were not informed of this. The Kanakappalam forest region is about 3km away from the Erumely town.

Around 1000 people from two panchayats reside in this region.

Erumely panchayat member Sunil Mannil said that people currently faced trouble from snakes such as cobra, viper and king cobra. One person was bitten by a cobra last month near Karimpinthodu close to the forest region.

However, chief forest conservator Georgi C Mathachan said that the snakes were released deep into the forest. The forest region in the Kottayam district is in Erumely. Normally, the snake hatchlings do not venture out of deep forests, he added.