Mumbai: Mumbai Municipal Corporation has constituted a team of 29 ‘rat-killers’ to fight the menace of rats in the city, while increasing the reward for killing a rat from Rs 10 to Rs 18.
The municipality is concerned about the spread of a bacterial infection called Leptospirosis which is transmitted through contact with substances contaminated by the urine of infected rats. If left untreated, the infection can be life-threatening.
Chances of contacting leptospirosis are particularly high during the monsoon, as exposure of rat urine to water-pipes is common.
The Corporation are planning to recruit more volunteers from different parts of the city. The exterminators are to work in specific wards, and should be able to kill about 100 to 150 rats every night using a lathi. If he succeeds, he should be able to make between Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,700 per night.
