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Rat killing stepped up in Bombay

A Correspondent in Bombay

The leptospirosis epidemic has forced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to step up "Operation Rat". More than 10,710 rat holes have been treated in the last three days; 4,529 rat traps have been set and 2,297 rats have been killed by rat catchers.

There are 41 rat catchers appointed by the BMC to kill rats. Additional municipal commissioner P Bayas told rediff.com, "The 41 rat catchers are mostly attached to major food godowns in the city. A few of them are deployed in the suburbs. It is very difficult to control the rat population in the entire city."

The rat catchers on an average kill 25 rats per day. With 41 rat catchers the total comes to about 1,000 rats per day.

Bayas says, "The situation is now under control and our teams of doctors have visited 95 per cent of nursing homes and 75 per cent of general practitioners to check if there are any new cases. Leptospirosis exists all round the year. In 1998-99, there were 111 cases reported of which three died. This year there is an alarm as eight patients have died in the neighbouring districts."

When asked, why the BMC does not take long term measures to avoid an epidemic, Bayas said, "There is no epidemic so far. We have stepped up our machinery and the situation is under control."

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