KUDOS TO GOVERNMENT for taking the initiative to clean up the City of Bridgetown and its environs and for attempting to rid us of the dreaded rats.
While we may never be able to fully eradicate these disease-carrying rodents, we believe the sooner the health authorities can get a handle on the local population, which is now estimated to be in the region of one million, the better for us all.
At risk is not only personal health but Barbados’ precious reputation as a premier tourism destination with a World Heritage Site designation for Historic Bridgetown And Its Garrison, now unfortunately listed among the infested areas.
This has prompted the launch of an ambitious “baiting” programme that also covers other St Michael areas, such as Collymore Rock, Belleville, Bridge Road, Black Rock, Bank Hall, Westbury and the Spring Garden Highway and aims to reduce, by at least half, the rat population over the next 12 months.
But it is by no means an easy task, given the pace at which rats tend to breed and persistent inner city problems such as poor waste disposal and drainage.
There is also the issue of abandoned or semi-abandoned buildings; businesses whose premises are in a decrepit state or overflowing with dusty, old stock.
These provide a safe haven for rats, which love to inhabit places where they are unlikely to be disturbed and can easily run riot at night.
It should be pointed out, however, that rat infestation is not peculiar to Bridgetown. In the wider world, most metropolitan areas are grappling with a similar problem, including the cultural capital of the world, New York City, which is now just as famous for issues related to extensive rat infestation.
So bad is the situation there that city Senator Bill Perkins of Northern Manhattan recently appealed for a “rat-free” New York City subway.
But much to his disappointment, a lot of food is still being consumed on the subway system, adding to his worry about the spread of leptospirosis and other diseases.
“This is a major concern that I have as a consumer and a representative,” said Senator Perkins, whose video appeal was posted on YouTube.
He called for more frequent trash removal, the patching up of holes in walls and floors, and more garbage disposal points as part of a major clean-up of that city.
In Vancouver, Canada, the rat population is also under attack.
Together with the baiting efforts of the independent Vancouver Rat Project, some local businesses have been making the effort to clean up their properties weekly.
But the endless dumping of rubbish by passers-by has been making it difficult to keep the surroundings clean.
Here in Barbados, we also need to deal decisively with those businesses and individuals who are found to be harbouring rats on their property or contributing to the growth of the rat population, either through bad or improper disposal of refuse or poor hygiene practices.
To continue to turn a blind eye is to allow harmful vermin to spread.
