GADAG: Finally, the Gadag-Betageri City Municipal Council (CMC) distributed hand gloves, shoes and other safety equipment to pourakarmikas who clean public toilets in the cities of Hubballi and Dharwad.
The New Indian Express had recently published an article on how a man was cleaning a public toilet in Betageri with his bare hands.
After this, CMC officials alerted the officials of the department concerned and directed them to supply all the required equipment to pourakarmikas.
The CMC has also made it mandatory for all civic workers to use this equipment and they are not to work with bare hands or feet. The officials also visited various spots in the cities to ensure that the pourakarmikas are wearing the eqipment.
Thanking the CMC and government officials, Ramesh Kolur, a social activist, said: “Most of the pourakarmikas are wearing hand gloves and shoes while cleaning public toilets, which is really happy news for all of us.”
An official from the CMC said: “We have already given all the necessary equipment, but some workers are not following the rules and they continue to work without proper equipment. People hire some people to clean toilets for lower wages or by offering alcohol, and get the work done.”