It’s official. Sham Shui Po is the rattiest place in Hong Kong, with a whopping 7.6 percent Rodent Infestation Rate (RIR) – shame on you!
The new figures announced today by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) found the city-wide overall RIR in the first half of 2014 to be marginally higher than the second half of last year (from 3.6 percent to 3.2 percent). But for some reason, Shan Shui Po has more than double the concentration of resident rats than the city as a whole. The overall RIR is the average infestation rate of the districts during the period.
However, there’s no need to panic, as the FEHD only sees fit to strengthen its efforts in rodent disinfestation if RIR reaches higher than 10 percent.
A spokesman offered a some very insightful suggestions about the possible causes of rat infestations: “The relatively higher RIRs in some districts were mainly caused by poor hygiene conditions at specific spots and rear lanes, including the accumulation of disused articles, indiscriminate disposal of refuse and improper handling of food remnants, which provide shelter and food for rodents.”
Rats are attracted to rubbish left lying around in the street? First we’ve heard of it.
He continued, “Although the RIRs of all districts were in the low single digits, the FEHD will maintain the momentum of its regular anti-rodent work, which includes street cleaning, eliminating and trapping rats in rear lanes, filling rat holes, and carrying out public health education and publicity on rodent control in all districts.”
Oh, okay. So you’re still going to clean the streets then. Thanks guys.
Apparently it’s not all as straight forward as you might think, however, prompting the FEHD to roll out a two-phase territory-wide campaign. The first phrase, introduced this March, has seen inspections at danger zones, such as markets, hawker bazaars and back streets, while the second, due to start next month, we see public education events held on the issue.
If you don’t understand any of the above, make sure you attend one.
Photo: Wikimedia
