VIJAYAWADA: Despite ban on manual scavenging under the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits, a silt cleaning worker without any precautionary gear was seen entering an open drain near Raghavaiah Park, MG Road on Monday. In all, the city has around 200 silt cleaning workers in three administrative circles of the city.
AITUC State general secretary urged the VMC authorities to provide precautionary gear like masks, hand gloves and gumboots to the silt cleaning workers to prevent any untoward incidents. When contacted, VMC chief engineer D Mariyanna said the engineering department has given the task of clearing the silt in open drains to various contractors in the city.
He said the machinery cannot enter the open drains as their height and width are low when compared to manholes. "Moreover, the contractors will provide them equipment to clear the silt without entering the open drain. The contractor concerned and worker will be identified and warned not to resort to such practice in future," he added.