B. G., a resident of Calle de los Voluntarios Catalanes in Valdeacederas, has been forced to share his home with a rodent. After the initial shock, he contacted the municipal pest control service of the Madrid City Council, but despite the seriousness that the administration itself attributes to the presence of these animals, he has not received a response in over five days.
The presence of rats inside homes, premises, etc., is considered unacceptable in terms of public health, damage prevention, and quality of life. In these types of environments, the principle of zero tolerance or zero pest threshold is always applied.
B. G.'s situation does not appear to be an isolated case. Local pest control companies are overwhelmed, and local shops sell a large quantity of rodent elimination products. This problem is directly linked to the intense urban transformation process that Valdeacederas is undergoing, a neighborhood in a constant state of construction, with torn-up streets and overflowing trash bins.
Antonio Granero, president of the Cuatro Caminos-Tetuán Neighborhood Association, confirms that complaints about construction are common and that the appearance of rats was predictable. He mentions that in a group of streets, including Voluntarios Catalanes, Genciana, and Ana María, the construction of new homes is incessant. Although the rats could be a coincidence, the relationship with the construction is undeniable.
Cristina, a resident of Valdeacederas for fifteen years, has also noticed an increase in rats, especially at night near trash containers. Furthermore, she denounces the daily inconveniences caused by construction, which forces pedestrians to walk in the street and generates dirt and cracks in the asphalt. The transformation of the neighborhood, with the replacement of old low-rise houses by modern buildings, is altering its physiognomy and heritage.
The population growth in Tetuán, one of Madrid's densest districts, is not accompanied by an improvement in public services, according to neighborhood associations. Gentrification and real estate speculation are leading to the loss of neighborhood life, with commercial premises being converted into tourist apartments and a significant increase in housing prices, especially in Valdeacederas, where the annual increase in sales prices exceeds 20%.
