Mass campaign needed, say residents

 Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 1

Residents of the city continue to face troubles by the increasing number of rats and the problems caused by them.

They feel that their individual efforts to address the problem are not producing desired results. The problem is acute in the walled city where shared wall houses, narrow lanes and availability of abundant food are helping them to grow. 

In the absence of any mass campaign, there number continues to swell at an ever increasing pace. Losses to traders due to wastage of food grains and other eatables are mounting with each passing day.

Amritsar Tribune talked to a cross section of people on the problem of rats. They have put forward views and suggestions on the issue. 

Authorities indifferent

Rodents’ menace has assumed alarming proportions in the city. Traders are complaining about the continuous losses due to wastage of food grains and other items by rats. Their number has increased manifold and they are easily visible on roads in the walled city at night. Different measures being employed by people to catch rodents are not yielding desired results. The district authorities are grappling with various problems and seem to be oblivious of this serious trouble. 

Amrit Lal Jain, president, Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal

Huge losses

I have a shop at Shastri Market in the walled city. For centuries, the market has been a traditional hub of textiles in the city. At present, the problem of rats is at its peak in the market. Losses are immense as rodents cut through almost all kinds of fabrics and telephone and computer wires conveniently. Similarly, they waste and destroy dry fruit, pickles, jams and other eatables at Mishri Bazar and adjoining areas. 

PL Seth, textile manufacturer 

Massive investments

There is not even a single day when they don’t waste eatables. Special steel almirahs and containers have been built to ensure that they protect valuable from rats. We have to invest a lot of money to keep the eatables safe from rats. 

Harish Kumar, a worker in the hospitality sector

Plan to deal with the problem

The problem of increasing number of rats is in the notice of the Municipal Corporation. I will pass instructions to chalk out a plan for dealing with the problem of rodents.

Bakshi Ram Arora, Mayor