Sewer workers will get free safety kits: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Manual scavenging has already been banned and the Delhi Jal Board has deployed machines to maintain its sewer lines. Despite this, at least 18 people have died in Delhi while cleaning sewers between 2017 and 2019 (till June), according to data laid down in the parliament earlier this month.

The Delhi government will provide free safety kits comprising helmets, gloves, masks and body suits to all sewer workers in the city, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

The Delhi government will provide free safety kits comprising helmets, gloves, masks and body suits to all sewer workers in the city, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday. (HT File Photo)

The chief minister also said that while the Aam Aadmi Party government has installed drinking water pipelines catering to 93% residents, work is on to reach the rest within another one-and-a-half years.

“But there are still some areas, where even though drinking water supply is available, the supply comes only for 30 minutes to one hour every day. Our next target is to provide drinking water to all Delhiites round the clock,” Kejriwal said.

He was speaking at a workshop on sewer safety and awareness of the field level sewer workers organised by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Manual scavenging has already been banned and the Delhi Jal Board has deployed machines to maintain its sewer lines. Despite this, at least 18 people have died in Delhi while cleaning sewers between 2017 and 2019 (till June), according to data laid down in the parliament earlier this month. The data was based on newspaper reports.

Senior officials said that though the DJB doesn’t allow any person to enter the sewer lines and the work is done entirely by machines, a sewer worker has to go down as sometimes the machine cannot clear the blockages or some repair needs to be done. The kit would provide safety on such occasions, they said.

“Delhi government will provide this safety kit for free to every worker who works for the cleaning of the sewers. We will ensure that free kit is given to everyone so that even if the contractor doesn’t provide you with the gear, you use your own gear to stay safe and no untoward incident takes place,” Kejriwal said.

He said that at least 80% of Delhi is now covered with sewer lines installed by the DJB. Barring a few colonies where installing sewer lines is technically not feasible or the permission of the forest department is required, entire Delhi would be brought under sewer connections in the next two to three years, the CM said.