Pied Pipers on the prowl: Two Jaipur heritage sites shut for 2 days to wipe out rodents

JAIPUR: Rats out to make a Hamelin out of Pink City's tourist hotspots Albert Hall Museum and Ramniwas Bagh sit up: modern-day Pied Pipers are on the prowl and will unfurl their near-fatal charms over the next two days. These Pied Pipers will be none other than officials of Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), which will seal the two locations on Sept 30 and Oct 1.The aim is to tackle the rodent menace and undertake a comprehensive clean-up of the two sites.
JDA secretary Nishant Jain said growing number of rats within Ramniwas Bagh compound - which houses the Albert Hall Museum and other structures - pose the threat of an infection or, worse, an epidemic. Unlike their ancestors in Hamelin, the rapacious rodents of Jaipur don't have much time to escape the dragnet in the works. The trap-and-kill operation will roll just after midnight Sunday and last till early Wednesday.
JDA's Pied Pipers will brandish no pipes to herald their arrival but go about their operations furtively, deploying funnel-technology for their task. Officials will prepare toxic pesticide-laced "baits", mixing fodder, zinc phosphate and edible oil. The baits will be placed at the bottom of the specially designed funnels, which will then be put inside rat holes. The funnels will prevent chemical spillovers and the rats are expected to take the funnels to reach the baits. Ten JDA teams of three each will be at work.
"These rats are not only digging holes and destroying green cover at Ramniwas Bagh but also damaging historic structures, including walls of Albert Hall. As a result, we have asked our garden wing to take up this initiative," a JDA official said. JDA officials attributed the increase in rats to two nearby temples, a dargah and scores of street food vendors, with piles of leftovers.