Rodent menace irks grain market traders

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, April 16

Rat menace has reached an alarming level in the walled city, especially areas where markets of grain, spices and eatables are situated. Over the past many years, the municipal corporation has hardly taken cognisance of the problem which is acquiring epidemic proportions.

Amit Taneja, a trader, said the menace reached an alarming level in traditional markets like Swank Mandi, Mishri Bazar, Dhab Wasti Ram, Daal Mandi, Chatti Khuhi and surrounding streets where wholesale markets of grains, spices, FMCG products and other goods were located. Two kinds of rodents were visible in the area. One had long snouts and the other were big-size rats which were three to four times bigger than ordinary rats. Traders had been employing different ways at an individual level to control their number, but it did not yield any substantial result.

Parminder Singh, a trader, said rats were not only damaging sewer pipes and contaminating water supply, but were also weakening foundations of houses and shops as they burrowed their holes in them. Sanjeev Sharma, a city resident, held traders responsible for not employing scientific ways to store grains. He said their stored grain offered easy food to rodents. He said their numbers were growing with each passing day.

Municipal Commissioner Harpreet Singh said the civic body would hire a firm for pest management in the areas where the problem had escalated to an alarming level.

He said before the Amritsar Municipal Corporation undertakes any such exercise to bring the rodent population under control, the civic body would require the support of the local residents.