CHENNAI: A video doing the rounds on social media showing two workers desilting a drain on Kaveri Street in Saligramam with bare hands has raised concern regarding safety and welfare of labourers.
According to a corporation official, the desilting began on Thursday following instructions from the councillor as the nearby Thiyagi Logaiah Street junction often gets inundated during rains.
L M Jaiganesh, an activist said, “When I visited the site on Thursday, workers were manually clearing silt from sewage-contaminated water with stench covering the entire area. This was happening even when the corporation’s area engineer was present.”
Speaking to TNIE, the corporation official admitted that sewage from illegal connections got mixed in the drain. “Breakage was discovered when we used a JCB to clear the silt. So, I instructed the workers to clear the silt manually,” the official said. He, however, added that the work was temporarily stopped on Friday until Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board fixes the sewage flow.
“The workers are contract labourers, and contractors have been instructed to provide them with safety gear,” he added.
When asked about the contract details, he said the work did not involve a formal contract as it was done immediately as part of preparatory measures. “We are still waiting for the tender to be issued. These workers were temporarily called in to carry out the task,” he added.