This swachhta ‘STINKS’

Even as the civic body is going all out to make Jaipur top the Swachh Survekshan Survey rankings, it has forgotten one basic need: To introduce sewer jetting machines for risky jobs or give adequate safety gear to workers who do the dirty job of cleaning the city’s sewerage pipes.

This apathetic attitude has already taken a toll when two private company workers died on Saturday while cleaning the sewage chamber at Kukarkheda Anaaj Mandi.

They were forced to enter the chamber without proper equipment as their private contractor didn’t set aside funds to ensure the safety of its workers.

This incident is a lesson for the state capital. If any step to provide adequate safety equipment is not taken, we could witness more such casualties in the near future.

There is no rule regarding the safety provision for private labourers who undertake a risky job like cleaning of sewer line. These workers have no option but to undertake these jobs in order to make a livelihood.

The civic body does the maintenance work of the city’s sewer lines but mostly hands these jobs to private contractors. It hasn’t fixed any rules that would ensure safety while undertaking these life-threatening jobs.  Under the rules of the Rajasthan Municipality Act, labourers cleaning the sewer chambers in urban bodies should have gas masks, flashlights, helmets, gumboots and walky-talkies. At the same time, during cleaning of sewer lines, there should be a provision of an ambulance or first aid on the spot.

The work of cleaning the sewer lines in the municipal corporation is done through contract because the number of permanent employees in the municipal sewer cell is very low.The civic body invites tenders every year to clean the sewer line.

With money coming in under the Swachh Bharat Mission,the JMC has given some employees helmets and gas masks. But this is just the minority.Apart from this, torchlights, gum boots and walky talkies have not yet been given to any employee.And,contractors undertaking risky jobs try to get them done with minimum cost so that they can make mega bucks from a job by compromising on the safety of its workers.

Not enough machines

The work of cleaning the sewer chamber should be mechanized under the guidelines of the central government and the Supreme Court.Municipal corporation spent crores in its cleanliness drive.But insignificant sums were spent to on hi-tech equipment.The municipal corporation currently has 21 sewer jetting machines and 10 small sewer jetting machines.

In 2015, under the chairmanship of Maan Pandit, the Garage Committee passed the proposal to purchase four big sewer jetting machines,eight medium sized sewer jetting machines, four small sewer jetting machines and eight desalting machines along with two super-sucker machines.This plan never reached its implementation stage.

NO PLAN IN PLACE 

The city’s development is unplanned. There is no integrated plan about sewer lines. There are thousands of colonies in the city where there is no sewer line. Local residents have kept alternative tanks for sewer discharge.

GROSSLY INADEQUATE

• Sewer manholes (chambers) in city:  More than one lakh
   
• 21 Sewer jetting machines
   
• 91 Wards
   
• 40 lakh Population