Dubai: If the mythical Pied Piper of Hamelin, the 13th century rat catcher, was in business today, he would have been a much sought after man at Bur Dubai’s Meena Bazaar and the adjoining areas. For rats in the bustling market-place are giving shopkeepers and residents all sorts of problems these days – from damage to goods to health hazards.
“They are eating into not just false ceilings and AC wirings of my shop but also my business,” says a frustrated Shaikh Jalil Ahmad, 55, who runs a small tailor shop in one of the alleys.
Costly damage
“They also nibbled away all my money plants. That was still OK, but it became a major issue when they started gnawing into my client’s tailored suits. The last time it resulted in us buying new materials worth almost Dh1,000,” said the long time Dubai resident from the Indian city of Varanasi.
Shaukat M., who runs a perfume outlet, a few shops away says his losses have been far greater. “We had to re-construct the ceiling completely, get a new split AC because the wires and internal ducts were damaged and plug all the holes in the walls they had made. All this cost us about Dh24,000,” said the man from Kerala.
Residents and shopowners reckon the deep excavation work during the construction of Al Fahidi Metro station, which came up in September 2011, could have caused the influx of the rodents.
“We never had this problem before the Metro but in the last few years our building has seen a huge rat infestation. In the past, we have had to throw away a lot of food spoilt by them, but now we have kept cages to prevent that. Plus the management has upped the pest control drive from once a month to twice a week,” said the owner of three restaurants in Al Mussalla tower, a popular shopping arcade adjacent to the Al Fahidi Metro station. “In our food business they also pose a serious health hazard.”
