MUMBAI, June 26 -- The city's public health efforts have come under close scrutiny this week as Ashish Shelar, the suburban district guardian minister, has ordered an inquiry into the Public Health Department's rat killing contract. Despite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) claim of eliminating 250,000 rats in the past six months, Shelar's review of official data has raised serious doubts about the scale and efficacy of the operation. In a meeting held at Mantralaya on Wednesday, Shelar pressed BMC officials-including additional commissioners Bipin Sharma, Amit Saini, and Abhijit Bangar, along with executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah and other state health and collectorate officers-to provide a detailed account of the rat control drive carried out over the last three months. "How many wards were covered, and where were these rats disposed of?" he questioned, emphasising that a comprehensive record of the operation appeared to be lacking. With decades of experience in municipal affairs-as a corporator, MLC, and three-term MLA-Shelar commented that he had never witnessed a rat extermination exercise on such a scale, nor the widespread use of cage traps in public areas. The minister's concerns are amplified by conflicting data. Official records indicate that between June 1 and 21, only 1,741 rats were killed using poison, with an additional 2,015 captured via cage traps. This stark discrepancy from the claimed 250,000 rats has cast a pall over the credibility of the reported figures. Terming the operation "highly suspicious," Shelar directed the BMC's additional commissioner to launch a rigorous three-month investigation and provide a detailed report, demanding clarity on the number of rats actually exterminated and the methods employed. While rat control remains the chief priority, Shelar also addressed other pressing municipal issues during the meeting. In a separate segment, he instructed officials to draft an action plan for the desilting of Powai, Tulsi, and Vihar lakes-areas now facing increased environmental stress. Powai Lake, which began overflowing as early as June this year, is now threatened by rampant water hyacinth growth due to untreated sewage discharge. The minister emphasised the need for a detailed study on silt management post-desilting and suggested that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds could help expedite the process. Additionally, Shelar called for a rapid shift in fuel usage in bakeries across Mumbai. He proposed a special incentive scheme to phase out coal, diesel, and firewood in favour of eco-friendly fuels. This time-bound initiative, already under judicial scrutiny by the Bombay High Court, aims to reduce air pollution in the city. Financial assistance from both the BMC and the MPCB was recommended to support bakeries still dependent on traditional, polluting fuel sources....