BMC appeals to citizens to fight rat menace

Mumbai, Apr 22 (UNI) Even as the monsoon is only a month away, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is leaving no stone unturned to prepare citizens for the common ailments during the rains, especially those caused by rats.

The BMC, has, therefore appealed to citizens to fight rat menace as it poses serious threat to people's health, mostly during the rains and also causes financial losses.

Rats contaminate food stock and environment and spread various diseases like leptospirosis, plague, rat bite fever, murine typhus and various intestinal worms, an official release here today said.

The spread of diseases can be curbed in the metropolis by restricting entry of pests and depriving them of food.

The release informs that there are two major types of rodents - house-rats and non-domestic rats. The house-rats are divided into 'Ratus-Ratus' and 'Mus Musculus' categories while the non-domestic rats are divided into 'Bandicoota bengalnesis' and 'Rat of norvegicus' categories.

Dead or killed rats are collected and taken to the dissection center in Parel's Haffkinw Institute. Some rats are dissected by researchers in the institute for study purpose, while the remaining are buried deep in Deonar dumping ground, the release added.

UNI