Councillor concerned about rodent infestation in Hopewell
Published:Thursday | April 21, 2022 | 12:06 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
AN INCREASE in the rat population in Hopewell, Hanover, has prompted councillor for the Hopewell division in the Hanover Municipal Corporation, Devon Brown, to call on the Hanover Health Department (HHD) to do nightly spot checks on the street-side food vendors in the area, as he believes that they are a contributing factor.
Brown expressed concern about whether or not the proper disposal of food waste is being practised by the vendors.
He made the comments at a recent Hanover Municipal Corporation meeting, against the background of warnings by the medical officer of health for the parish, Dr Kaushal Singh, for persons to take preventative steps against seasonal diseases and illnesses in the coming months.
With the COVID-19 infection on the decrease in Hanover, and the HHD calling on residents to be on the lookout for an increase in the mosquito population, with its attendant ills, Brown argued that continued control of the rat population will also help in maintaining health standards.
“I travel a lot at nights, and the number of rats that are on the roads in the Hopewell area at those times, sometimes one has to stop and give them time to cross the road,” Brown stated jokingly, while questioning the monitoring process by the HHD of night vending in that area.
“I think most of it (rat infestation) is coming from the improper disposal of garbage, and also the night vending. It would appear that waste from the vending is just thrown in the nearby gullies, or on the roadside, and this is where the rats come out and harvest the refuse,” he reasoned.
SHORT ON PERSONNEL
Singh, while arguing that his department is at present short on personnel, gave a commitment towards taking some immediate action about the issue. He said that his team is putting plans together for action on highlighted issues across the parish, noting that the Hopewell rat infestation issue will be included for immediate action.
Brown said that the irregular collection of garbage in the area is another contributor to the rat infestation, noting that improvements are needed from the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) with regard to a more consistent garbage collection schedule.
The NSWMA representative at the meeting had reported earlier that there were some 25 communities across eastern Hanover with a backlog of garbage, which should have been collected during March. Brown said that the number is debatable, but asked for an improved collection schedule across the Hopewell division in particular, and eastern Hanover in general.