They were trained to do the job, but delay on part of the administration made them look out for greener pastures.
Nearly 40 women were trained to drive Tempo trucks and collect garbage from various housing societies in the city. Currently, only six women drivers are doing the job.
The Solid Waste Collection And Handling (SWACH), an ambitious project of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to involve scrap pickers in garbage collection to make them self-reliant, has fallen flat.
Reason: The Tempos that these women were supposed to drive did not arrive in time.
Lakshmi Narayan, a member of SWACH, said, “There was a delay on the part of PCMC administration. The Tempos had been procured but some other administrative process took a little longer than expected.”
“By the time the Tempos arrived, these women had already completed the training for driving and were in search of a job. Because of the delay, they went on to do other jobs,” she said.
“At the same time, some have either got married and shifted to other places, or are on leave due to family and health issues. That is why we have less number of woman drivers,” she added.
The project which was started in 2010 was sponsored by Tata Motors. “Nearly 60 people were trained in driving the Tempos of which 40 were women,” Shabana Diler, another SWACH member, said.
She said, “Tata Motors spent around Rs 2,500 per head for training. These women are competent enough to understand the traffic rules and drive safely.”
Shilpa Kamble, one of the drivers said, “I was doing odd jobs before I took the training and joined the wagon. I am very happy and proud of my job. In my whole life I never drove a bicycle, but now I can confidently drive the Tempo. Initially I would be ashamed of carrying loads of garbage. But now, I feel comfortable.”
Satvasheela Potekar, another driver, said, “I feel proud when I drive the vehicle. Initially, I had inhibitions, but with training and encouragement from colleagues I gained confidence.”
Comments