A rat infestation has been reported in Mqabba, after residents contacted this paper and said that quite a few were visible around Monsignor A. Caruana Street.
The situation revolves around a specific field, whose owner seems to be unknown. Residents said that they have been complaining to the local council since last March. Footage seen by this newspaper, which will be uploaded on our portal later today, shows a large number of rats, roaming around with impunity, tearing into rubbish bags and nosing around.
One resident told this newsroom that he has seen rats sitting atop parked cars and in the middle of the road. “I’m afraid of rats. Before I go outside I need to ask my wife to check if there are any in the street”.
Contacted by this newsroom, Mqabba mayor Charlene Zammit said that the council had contacted the Central Region Health Inspectorate a number of times, who used poison on over four occasions to try and solve the problem.
The mayor explained that the council does not have the authority to go into private property, however has been in contact with both the police and MEPA on the issue.
The mayor said that she has been on site a number of times after residents complained of rubbish being present in the street. She explained that most of the photos are aerial shots, and as such the rubbish is present on the private property. A resident told this newsroom the same thing, that the problem lies with the rubbish present on the private property. “You can’t pretend that the rubbish collector would wade through the tall grass on private property to search for rubbish,” the mayor said.
MEPA do not have the name of the owner as the plot does not lie within a compulsory registration area she added. Dr Zammit said that MEPA had assured action, however no such action has yet been taken. The police are currently working to uncover the name of the owner.
The council will be installing cameras in order to help protect against illegal dumping, and will also place a skip in the area. They are also investing in green wardens, and the service will begin operating in the coming weeks.
If the owner cannot be identified, then MEPA will eventually wall off the field itself, she said, adding that if the owner doesn’t pay then the council is ready to pay for it through the Urban Improvement Fund.
The executive secretary of the council, Mr Anthony Bonello, told this newsroom that drainpipes pass through the field, and on occasion, there have been leakages.
Another concern in the area would be the health risk that such rodents could bring, and rats are well known to carry disease.