After video of rat eating ice cream cone in popular outlet at Seawoods station goes viral, Navi Mumbai civic body says it will act if there is a complaint

Navi Mumbai: After a video of a rodent eating an ice cream cone at a popular retail outlet inside the Seawoods station complex went viral, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) said it had not received any complaint about the incident.

"So far, we have not received any formal complaint about the viral video of a rat eating an ice cream at a shop in Seawoods," NMMC chief medical health officer Dr Prashant Jawade said on Tuesday. "In case there is any grievance with regards to public health or a rodent-related matter, we can further inquire and take action."

The NMMC spends over Rs 3.5 crore every year to control rodent numbers in all wards to prevent serious diseases.

"The presence of a rat inside a retail outlet selling food items means that NMMC is unable to control the rodent population," Anarjit Chauhan, an activist, said. "The civic body must suo motu visit that shop shown in the viral video and check how rats are entering these sanitised areas."

Chauhan said all shops pay property tax to the NMMC, part of which is later used for the purpose of public health.

Many citizens reacted after seeing the viral video and said they will avoid eating ice cream or any other snacks from the shops at the station complex.



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