More rats on the loose in downtown Abu Dhabi, residents say

Tadweer, the Centre of Waste Management, denied a rat issue which was flagged by residents, saying there had actually been a drop in the detected number of rodents.

ABU DHABI // Residents of the capital’s downtown area say there has been an increase in the number of rats in their neighbourhoods.

They said the problem was that restaurants and grocery stores left their waste out on the streets. But Tadweer, the Centre of Waste Management, denied there was a major issue, saying there had been a drop in the number of rodents reported.

Mohammed Hussain, a resident of Abu Dhabi for 15 years, said the pavements in front of some restaurants and cafeterias had turned grey because of the rubbish left there.

“The discarded food is not handled properly and that invites rats,” he said. He believed large hotels and restaurant chains did not have these issues as they “exercise cleanliness and carry out rodent and cockroach treatments regularly”, said Mr Hussain, who lives on Elektra Street.

Ali Farouqui, who has lived in the Al Zahiya area for five years, said old buildings and bakeries were breeding grounds for vermin.

“They stockpile wheat flour for bread preparation,” he said.

“That provides the rats a great shelter in there and they spread around other buildings. Such places where breads and bakery items are cooked should be closely monitored, and leftovers should be properly discarded.”

Ismath, an Indian, said the problem was mainly in old buildings, as new buildings tended to be cleaned regularly.

Tadweer said the sight of rats in downtown Abu Dhabi was uncommon nowadays because of regular inspections. “Tadweer field inspectors perform regular site inspections and visits” to “detect rodents’ infestations presence and levels”, a spokesman said.

“Detected hot spots will be subjected to immediate, intensive campaigns” until the rats were eliminated, he said.

The spokesman said that “infestations might be discovered due to poor hygiene or absence of proper maintenance in some old buildings”.

Tadweer advised that the best way to eliminate rodents was to “implement good housekeeping practices, storage and handling of food stuff” while maintaining “tidiness and proper waste management was a magical key in approaching a rodent-free facility”.

“It is very important to maintain the buildings and seal any openings to minimise rodent access to these buildings,” the spokesman said.

Residents should call Tadweer on 800 555 for complaints about rodent infestations.