NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is under attack from rodents, who swarm public parks and destroy lawns and shrubs. The rats are attracted to the parks where people feed birds. To combat the rat invasion, SDMC has installed bird feeders so that the rodents don’t get to the bird food.
The first such bird feeder has been installed in New Friends Colony in the park near Surya Hotel. The structure has a double bowl, and the surface is slippery so that rats can’t climb into it. “The design of the structure was in-house. SDMC is planning use this technique in other parks as well,” said Alok Singh, director of SDMC’s Horticulture Department.
“The bird feeder was put up a month ago. The rat problem is a huge one, they have destroyed roots of trees as well,” said Vinod Singh, who runs a tea stall near the park.
SDMC, which maintains around 6,000 parks, has also installed open gyms in more than 100 parks. “We work nearby and use the outdoor gym every day. We see big rats here, but didn’t know the authorities were interested in tackling this issue,” said an employee of a hospital near the park.