In recent days images and videos have circulated on Twitter (now X) showing the presence of rats in the Manzanares River, which has generated concern among neighbors and visitors to the area.
In the last few days
In the face of this evidence, the Madrid City Council, through the delegate of Urbanism, Environment and Mobility, Borja Carabante, yesterday denied the existence of a plague in the area. Carabante has stated that it is “a very specific situation that the services of Madrid Salud are already working to control and that it does not spread.”
The delegate explained that, during the summer, especially on days with high temperatures, it is common for rats, which normally live underground, to be more visible. This has been especially noticeable in recent weeks, coinciding with a storm last August 2, which seems to have exacerbated the problem.
The opposition’s message
For her part, Emilia Martínez, councilor of the PSOE, has criticized the lack of cleanliness in the affected area, noting that “it has been more than two weeks without cleaning”. Martinez has stressed that the stretch of the river between the water games and the shopping center has shown a state of “neglected cleanliness” after the effects of the storm, which could have contributed to the proliferation of rats.
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Martínez has also questioned the priorities of delegate Carabante, criticizing that “he wants to spend almost a million euros on lighting a stretch of the river” while not properly attending to the maintenance and improvement of the sewer network, crucial aspects to avoid problems such as the appearance of rodents.
The debate continues, while neighbors hope that the measures taken by the City Council will be sufficient to control the situation and ensure the cleanliness and safety of Madrid Río.
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