Now, GHMC gets eco engineers to monitor sanitation 

 Citizens of Greater Hyderabad may witness better cleaner main roads and lanes soon with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) proposing to vest the responsibilities

HYDERABAD: Citizens of Greater Hyderabad may witness better cleaner main roads and lanes soon with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) proposing to vest the responsibilities on Environmental Engineers (EEs) in place of Assistant Medical Officers for Health (AMOHs) who are monitoring the day-to-day sanitation works such as sweeping of roads, lifting of garbage and their transportation to designated places would be replaced with environmental engineers shortly.

The Standing Committee chaired by GHMC Mayor, Bonthu Rammohan approved the proposals on Thursday to appoint as many as 40 EEs on outsourcing basis. The recruitment process will be done through NAC and for selected candidates training will be provided by CGG on various aspects on sanitation. GHMC officials would approach CGG to recruit the EEs by following due procedures. There monthly salary would `40,000 per month. After the recruitment of EEs they will supervise garbage collection, clearance and transport to dumping sites in the allocated circles.

Whereas, AMOHs will be responsible for issuing birth and death certificates and trade licenses, inspecting hotels and restaurants at regular intervals to check food contamination, checking outbreak of vector borne diseases, overseeing sanitation works. Besides the AMOHs would also look after primary health centres in the corporation limits and would treat patients in primary health centres and urban health centres, GHMC officials said.

It is not proper for AMOHs who are doctors to take care of sanitation on the roads and see them moving on the streets and roads, so it was decided to have environmental engineers in their places as sanitation is connected with environment. Besides there are allegation against AMOHs involved in corruption. Some AMOHs, along with SFAs, were reportedly misusing provident fund and others benefits of the sanitation workers.

The need of specialised engineers in MSW management was found essential by the Supreme Court which played a crucial role in late 1990s while dealing a Public Interest Litigation petition on disposal of MSW, GHMC proposed to involve environmental engineers to deal  with MSW after senior officials during their  visit to other cities of the country realised that health officers are  not engaged sanitation purpose.

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