Mumbai
While PM Narendra Modi has put the spotlight on cleanliness, for BMC's conservancy workers, keeping Mumbai clean is fraught with real danger — over 1,293 of them have died in the past five years
Updated : Dec 17, 2014, 07:27 AM IST
They don't get to clean roads 'littered' with only dry leaves. Nor do they turn their work into photo ops and brag about it on social media. They are probably the biggest contributors to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign.
For the conservancy workers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, handling real filth – Mumbai's refuse – is a way of life. And it is fraught with real danger, no less than a death trap, according to statistics available with the civic administration.
What do the numbers show?
The civic body has lost 1,293 conservancy workers in past five years (between 2009 and 2013). The numbers translates into an average of 259 deaths every year or 22 men falling prey to their profession in a month. These figures were obtained by Devendra Amberkar, opposition leader in the BMC.
The picture was equally grim during the span of 2004-08, with 1,321 personnel succumbing at an average of 22 deaths in a month.
Why has this been happening, as per experts?
Health experts have attributed the deaths to unhygienic working conditions, excessive exposure to raw garbage or sewer, which triggers serious health complications. The BMC has a workforce of about 35,000 conservancy workers, including permanent and contract staff.
What is Oppn saying?
"I am shocked to see the number of persons losing their lives. These are the people who strive to keep the city clean, but we are losing them almost every day. It is true that the number of conservancy staffers dying has come down in the past two years, but falling health conditions of the staffers must be given priority. I am going to raise the issue," Amberkar said.
He demanded the corporation to ensure that the staffers are provided with adequate protective gears. "The civic body must see to it that the labourers are exposed to minimum muck. There has to be regular health check up to control the number of deaths," Amberkar insisted.
What does workers' union want from BMC?
Milind Ranade, general secretary of the Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh, a union working for the cause of labourers, was blunt. "Majority of the labourers die due to accident and illness. That means there is something wrong in their profession. So, it is binding on the BMC to provide them protection cover. But there has been no such effort made. All their talk is mere eyewash."
But civic body's stand is...
Civic officials though feel the BMC can't be held responsible for every death. "We feel sad when any of our staffer dies due to whatever reason. But we need to dissect the reasons behind their deaths too. If a labourer dies due to consumption of excessive liquor or tobacco, how can the BMC be held responsible? It is a personal choice," said an official from the solid waste management department.
Is the corporation doing anything?
The official added that the corporation provides an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh per head to the employees. "We provide them the benefits if they lose life while on duty," he added.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (SWM) Prakash Patil said the corporation is doing its best to help the workers deal with job hazards and adopt a healthy lifestyle. He added that the BMC had brought down the staffers' exposure to garbage significantly.
Apart from sensitizing the workforce to the perils of liquor and tobacco addiction, Patil said, the civic body is also conducting free health check-ups. "There is superstitious inclination amongst the workers. So, we are also coaxing them to use health facilities. Considering that most of them live in difficult conditions, we are planning to offer them shelters through Ashray Yojana. Living in healthier conditions will help them cope up with the health and mental problems."
Fatal figures
2004: 288
2005: 246
2006: 247
2007: 246
2008: 294
2009: 299
2010: 322
2011: 264
2012: 222
2013: 186
Total: 2,614
2014: 93 deaths so far