Rodents, flies invade residential areas

AJMAN — Overflowing garbage containers near residential buildings and houses besides the waste generated by commercial establishments has led to massive spread of rodents, flies and other insects which pose a health hazard to residents.

by

Afkar Ali Ahmed

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Published: Fri 27 May 2005, 11:47 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 8:32 PM

The problem primarily arises out of the delay in clearing garbage from the containers by the Municipality, which leads to residents dumping their waste outside the containers attracting rodents and flies.

Mohammed Omer, a resident of Al Zahra area, told Khaleej Times that the Municipality takes a long time to clear the garbage. "The garbage contains food waste and wet items which attract a lot of flies, insects and rodents which has become a threat to public health. People who are allergic suffer from allergic reaction to bites or stings of such insects," he said, adding that several complaints had been lodged with the Municipality in this regard but no action had been taken by the civic body so far.

Mahdi Omer from Al Rashidiya said swarms of flies had invaded the area last week. His children had to close all the windows, balconies and doors to prevent the flies from entering the house. "I understand that a housefly can carry millions of bacteria in its gut, mouthparts or on its feet," he said.

Dr Mohammed Atia, Deputy Head of Health at Ajman Municipality, said the civic body had introduced advanced technique to control spread of insects and rodent population in various areas of the emirate.

The Municipality's Pest Control Inspectors had fined several establishments and warned others against violating the pest control and surveillance procedures during their inspection campaigns. These inspections were part of a series of measures taken by the section to preserve public health and prevent pest-borne diseases from occurring in the emirate. "Foodstuff shops, construction companies and other establishments have to comply with general cleanliness rules stipulated by the section and should be free from pests," Dr Attia said.

The section has also undertaken regular programmes to control cockroaches, flies and mosquitoes in Ajman Fruits and Vegetable Market and Fish Market. Apart from this, the section carried out a campaign for mosquito control in several areas, while a rodent control survey was conducted in industrial and commercial areas.

Mohammed Yousif, Head of the Waste Section at the Municipality, said: "The Municipality workers are emptying the garbage twice a day, but the quantity of waste generated by residents is huge. We will try to solve the problems by putting two containers instead of one in various residential areas," he said.


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