As rats are the major source of the bacteria that causes leptospirosis, the civic body has hired additional resources to deal with the menace at night
Workers submit reports on the number of rats killed by them to BMC daily
The rainy season brings with it a number of diseases, leptospirosis being the most threatening, as the chances of contracting it during monsoon are the highest. As rats are a major source of the bacteria, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has hired 44 night rat killers to wipe out the rodents from across the city.
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According to data provided by BMC, the insecticide department has managed to clear the city of 2,11,705 rats since January this year. The highest number of rats was killed in M East ward (32,935), followed by E (23,762) and N (23,685) wards. The night rat killers manage to kill over a 1,000 rats every day and are paid Rs 18 for each one.
Speaking to mid-day, a BMC health official said, "The chances of contracting the disease during the rains are the highest, as people get exposed to water sources that might contain rat excreta. Due to shortage of staff, the civic body has hired private night rat killers, who are paid Rs 18 for each one."
Confirming the development, Rajan Naringrekar, BMC insecticide officer said, "The night rat killers work from 1am to 7am and submit a report on the number of rats killed by them everyday. We have tied up with five private organisations to carry out the task. Earlier the workers were paid Rs 6 per rat, but now it has been increased to Rs 18."
What is leptospirosis?
It is a disease caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Leptospira. People get infected when they come in contact with water that contains the excreta of rats and cattle.
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