Lucknow Corporators from different wards of the state capital have raised the demand of providing life-saving equipment to workers cleaning sewer and nullah. Jal Sansthan cleans sewers and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) cleans nullah of the city every year before the rainy season.
The corporators allege that the company responsible for cleaning the sewers does not provide life-saving equipment to workers who enter sewer chambers to clean them. This can cause fatal accidents as there have been deaths of sanitation workers in the past.
Leader of opposition in LMC House, Sayyed Yawar Hussain Reshu said, “Sanitation workers are usually very poor, un-educated, and unaware of their rights. They earn their livelihood by exposing themselves to extreme risk. So, it’s the duty of the government to provide proper safety kits to every sanitation worker. The safety kit must include gloves, gum boots, oxygen cylinders and safety belts. But no contractor provides the safety kit to these workers.”
He said, “According to the report of the National Commission for Safai Workers, as many as 631 people have died in the country while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last 10 years.”
Jugal Kishore Valmiki, leader of sanitation workers said, “There is a need for giving safety gears, proper equipment, adequate protection to sewer workers who enter manholes. The contractors should make sure that the manhole covers are opened and ventilated at least for an hour before the workers are allowed to get in. A first-aid kit should always be maintained by the employer.”
{{/usCountry}}Jugal Kishore Valmiki, leader of sanitation workers said, “There is a need for giving safety gears, proper equipment, adequate protection to sewer workers who enter manholes. The contractors should make sure that the manhole covers are opened and ventilated at least for an hour before the workers are allowed to get in. A first-aid kit should always be maintained by the employer.”
{{/usCountry}}He said, “There have been cases of deaths of sewer workers in Lucknow which is not good for a cultured society, that’s why we have demanded an end to this practice of manual cleaning of manholes or nullahs.”
Meanwhile, mayor Sanyukta Bhatia said, “The LMC and the Jal Sansthan have started using jetting machines to clean sewer overflow in the city after identifying through geographic information system (GIS) mapping. This is a big move towards mechanical cleaning; besides that I have already directed the officials to ensure that no worker enters the sewer or nullah without protective equipment.”