Eleven-year-old Umair was asleep beside his family in their home in Peshawar’s Gunj Gate neighbourhood when his screams shattered the silence of the night. Startled awake, his relatives switched on the lights and discovered blood trickling from his foot. Rushing outside, they came face-to-face with two unusually large rats in the courtyard — the animals responsible for the attack.

For Umair’s family, the incident was horrifying but not unprecedented. The same rodents had previously bitten and injured three other members of the household, turning what should be the safety of home into a source of fear. Across Gunj Gate, dozens of families are living through the same nightmare. Residents have repeatedly petitioned municipal authorities and the local government, complaining about clogged drains, overflowing garbage, and deteriorating sanitation conditions that have fueled a growing rat infestation.

Yet despite years of complaints, no effective measures have been taken to curb the problem, leaving communities increasingly vulnerable as rats continue to invade homes and attack residents. The crisis extends far beyond Gunj Gate. From Kohati Gate and Qissa Khwani to Lahori Gate, Yakatoot, Beri Bagh, Panch Katha, Malikpura, and Chamkani, residents across more than 50 neighbourhoods report a disturbing rise in rat attacks, with bites becoming an almost daily occurrence.

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Ayesha Munir, a mother of three from Chamkani, revealed that her five-year-old child often picks up and eats things from the floor. “Rats enter homes at night through drains. Despite blocking many entry points and using poison, the unusually large rats are no longer being killed by conventional pesticides. Because of poor sanitation, children often pick up objects from the ground, leading to frequent stomach illnesses,” said Ayesha. Although she lodged complaints through the Citizen Portal, no action has been taken regarding the issue.

Dr Hazrat Ullah, who has practised for many years at the Lady Reading Hospital and has served as a medical officer, revealed that whenever a person is bitten by a rat, cat, dog, or similar animal, it is essential to receive injections immediately after the bite. “Rat bites usually do not pose a life-threatening risk because they commonly occur on less critical parts of the body. However, if newborns or other individuals are bitten on the throat, airway, or other sensitive body parts, the situation can become serious,” he noted.

According to information obtained by The Express Tribune, Lady Reading Hospital alone receives approximately 900 rat-bite cases per month. During the past three months, nearly 3,000 rat-bite cases were reported at the hospital, most involving children under 15. These patients received treatment at the hospital’s vaccination centre. Similarly, dozens of cases are reported daily at Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex.

A senior official from Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar, speaking on the condition of anonymity, asserted that anti-rat campaigns have been conducted in several areas. “Anti-rat campaigns provide only temporary relief as rodents migrate from nearby areas. Chronic funding and resource shortages have hampered efforts to control both rat infestations and the growing stray dog population,” said the official.

According to sources of The Express Tribune, a comprehensive plan was developed by the Local Government Department several years ago in response to the rising number of rat-bite cases in Peshawar. A formal proposal was also prepared, but despite two years having passed, it has not been implemented. As a result, both the rat population and the number of rat-bite incidents in Peshawar continue to increase. Nevertheless, the administration has so far failed to give the issue the attention it requires.