TIRUCHY: While Monday marked a government holiday for many, it brought stress for city’s sanitation workers as they grappled with the task of ensuring a pristine cityscape for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit on Tuesday. Despite the recurring duty of working on New Year holiday to clear waste from the streets, this year presented an additional challenge for sanitation workers.
The workers claimed that their supervisors and officials conducted multiple rounds of inspections, intensifying efforts to guarantee a spotless environment for the PM’s visit. Many felt that while such pressure is customary during VVIP visits, the timing of the PM’s visit exacerbated their challenge.
“Our Monday’s work would usually conclude by noon. However, the anticipation of firecracker waste and post-celebration litter piling up compelled some of us to commence early clean-up. We want to ensure no waste is left uncleared during the PM’s visit,” Marimuthu (name changed), a worker said.
A sanitation supervisor said, “While the PM may not visit every location, we are not willing to take chances. In case of impromptu visits to certain areas, we want to ensure the absence of trash.”Raji (name changed), a worker stationed near the airport, said, “We have a lot of pressure to keep everything tidy. That forced us to forget about celebrations and worry about the waste that is likely to accumulate on city streets on Monday night. We anticipate more inspections on Tuesday as well.”