Peshawar residents approach PHC over rising population of rats

A petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) over rising population of rats in the city.

Residents of Warsak Road, Charsadda Road, Bashirabad and other areas approached the PHC, stating that the rat population has increased manifold due to poor sanitation and waste management.

The petition says citizens are facing serious difficulties as a result of the menace, adding that faulty sewerage systems have created breeding grounds for rats. It states that residents repeatedly contacted government departments and the local administration to address the issue, but no effective action was taken.

The petition also referred to a similar situation in 2016, when incidents of rats biting humans rose in Peshawar. It added that Lady Reading Hospital alone had reported 423 cases of rat bites during that period.

The petitioners recalled that the Peshawar administration had launched a scheme in 2016 under which cash rewards were offered for killing rats, but no such measures are currently in place.

They have urged the court to issue directives for the government to take immediate and effective steps to control the rat population before the situation worsens further.