Sanitation workers demand survey of manual scavengers

In a press conference called by the ‘Jan Haq Sangharsha Samiti’ the sanitation workers alleged that the BMC is avoiding creation of a list of sanitation workers, who are currently working as manual scavengers in Mumbai since, creating a list will compel the civic authorities to rehabilitate them.

Sakhubai Kale, who has been working as a sanitation worker for more than a decade said that she has to manually pick up waste and clean sewage lines through which solid waste and human waste is channeled out.

“Every year, we are appointed for carrying out desilting works before and during the monsoon season. However, we are also required to pick up waste manually from drains and gutters which carry out human waste. We are not being given any additional compensation for doing this kind of work and often we are told to clean up the drains and gutters manually where the machines don’t reach out,” Kale said on Friday. She said that the workers work for a meagre monthly remuneration of Rs 5,400.

Mapanna Maien, another sanitation worker, said that even though they have been doing this work for many years, the authorities are yet to provide them with any social security, which includes health protection as well.
“All the sanitation workers are deprived of health schemes for working in gutters for longer hours, many of us fall ill very frequently and the authorities don’t compensate us with anything,” he added.

Meanwhile, when contacted, a senior civic official said that health benefits are provided to sanitation workers who are working under BMC. However, responsibility of sanitation workers that are being appointed by third party contractors doesn’t lie with the civic body.