With the Big Apple’s most populous neighborhoods reportedly facing the worst rat invasion in decades, this Thursday a group of councilors presented in Lower Manhattan a new legislative strategy to establish “mitigation zones” from rodents.
The new regulatory package would strengthen the other fronts of extermination and control of these pests, which during the last six months, have been reactivated by the City.
“Significant steps have already been taken to restore funding for rat removal and modernization of trash cans in the recent city budget. Now, with the ‘Rat Action Plan’, we are redoubling our commitment for a city free of these vermin”said Sandy Nursewho chairs the Sanitation Committee of the City Council.
The novelty of these regulations, which were already presented in the Municipal Chamber, is that the Mayor’s Office must define for the first time, some specific mitigation zones for these animals, along with reports detailing progress in each area.
Additionally, it would be mandatory for any building that has a high concentration of rodent infestation to use special dumpsters. These are generally containers with airtight lids designed to keep these “residents” uncomfortable, outside residential spaces.
notice to builders
Similarly, new rules would arise for corporations that renovate buildings or build infrastructure, since they must have a mitigation plan, before construction permits are approved.
“We know that when buildings start to be demolished and foundations are broken, rats enter neighboring houses. They enter through pipes. They escape through cracks in the foundation. We know they can move through very small spaces,” Nurse recalled.
As the hot days of 2022 unfold, sanitation experts fear New York City is headed for one of the busiest summers on record. And also that the invasion of rats take more body in the five boroughs.
Last year, complaints of sightings of these rodents increased by more than two-thirds compared to the same period in 2019. That trend has continued this year: the first months of 2022 the highest number of complaints were reported to 311 by the presence of undesirable and feared animals, in at least 10 years.
Most rat complaints are historically recorded in parts of Brooklyn, Upper and Lower Manhattan, and the Bronx.
Joining multiple rodent “traps” and investments discussed for generations, this new action plan is sponsored by the Manhattan Councilmembers, Shaun Abreu y Erik Bottcher.
“These regulations are necessary for us to gain an advantage over this plague that has invaded our city for years, especially the poorest neighborhoods. We bet on a more hygienic city”, said Abreu, representative of district 7.
The City reactivated the “war” against rats
During the months of pandemic many factors, including pauses to specific mitigation plans by the New York City Department of Health (DOHMH)meant a multiplying agent of these mammals.
“Many of these activities had to be curtailed due to the other demands brought about by the public health emergency caused by COVID-19. But we have resumed it at 100%. including the Neighborhood Rat Reduction Plan (NRR) since January 2022. The inspectors travel block by block, checking each property in the mitigation zones,” he said. Pedro Frisneda, DOHMH spokesman.
The City’s current “war” on rodents is part of a comprehensive strategy launched in the summer of 2017, which is made up of several “fronts” and “weapons”: increased cleanup, encouraging New Yorkers to properly dispose of trash, coupled with pest reduction efforts on City property like NYCHA, parks, gardens and schools.
It was shown that by December 2019, the NRR program achieved decreases in 311 calls, sighting rates, and rat burrow counts in NYCHA parks, schools, and complexes.
Big Apple residents also have the option to participate in free training to deal with the proliferation of these rodents in their homes, businesses or neighborhoods in the Rat Academy.
“People have responsibility”
For her part, the resident of the complex Amsterdam Houses and ManhattanMaría Delgado recounts that for 40 years she has never stopped seeing “these disgusting little animals” in the Citybut acknowledges that for many years “they do not visit” her apartment or building.
“Now in the summer that I sit here in the park, they do see each other a lot. They look like cats because of how big they are. People have a lot of responsibility. They have no education to handle garbage. The rats will never go away completely. But they can be controlled more, “said the Puerto Rican retiree.
Rats have someone to defend them
But while the councilors presented this new bill to reduce the presence of these rodents in the city, two young activists from Rodent Alliance for Tasty Scraps (RATS), an organization that opposes the eradication of these rodents in the cityquestioned the new legislative package.
“This action and others the City is taking will make it even more difficult for our rodents to access leftover food. And it will lead to further depletion of their populations. Everything that is said about rats is a lie. They are animals like any other. We oppose this plan!” said Victor Vermin, while booing the approach of the members of the Chamber.
The data:
- 7,400 reports The presence of rats accumulated until the month of April of this year to the 311 service request line, this means an increase of more than 60% since approximately the first four months of 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
Seek advice to eliminate them:
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