NEW DELHI: The state is committed to providing the safest possible working condition to safai karamcharis (labourers working on manholes), said Minister for Water Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday. “Losing even one person in Delhi is an irreparable loss to all of us,” the minister said.
At a meeting with Delhi Jal Board vice-chairperson Saurabh Bharadwaj to review the progress of the Mukhyamantri Septic Tank Safai Yojana which was brought to prevent any unfortunate incidents from happening to the workers performing sewerage work in Delhi Rajendra said the safai karamcharis will be freed from entering the sewer, at the peril of their life and dignity, with the introduction of machines for sewer cleaning.
The minister also discussed the implementation of the Yojana brought to prevent deaths during septic tank cleaning in Delhi and instructed to take actions to curb the same. Under this scheme, the government will facilitate septic tanks cleaning for free.
On the government’s achievements in the field of cleanliness, Rajendra said, “The state government has added 200 sewer cleaning machines to the fleet in order to improve sewer cleanliness in slums of Delhi and to do away with the practice of manual scavenging.
With this, we have eliminated the cruel task of cleaning personnel entering sewage systems. The government is the first in the nation to make the cleaning staff the proprietors of the equipment. As a result, there are no deaths registered while cleaning sewers in Delhi.”
Under the scheme, the government aims to facilitate cleaning of septic tanks in the slums and villages. This scheme has been hailed as a significant step toward cleaning the city and Yamuna River. This scheme will also ensure better employment prospects along with improved living conditions.