ERODE: With sun beating down hard, the Erode city municipal corporation on Monday tweaked the working hours of the sanitation workers. Corporation officials said the change will be in force until the end of summer.
Erode district is currently one of the hottest districts in Tamil Nadu. On Tuesday, the district recorded temperature of 4o.8oC. With the scorching heat affecting the normal life of people, the Erode Municipal Corporation has changed the working hours for sanitation workers in order to protect them from health issues.
Speaking to TNIE, V Prakash, CHO of Erode Corporation, said, “Erode Corporation has 60 wards which are divided into four zones . Around 180 to 200 tonnes of garbage is collected from 60 wards every day. There are 1600 sanitation workers in this work. Usually the workers work from 6 am to 10 am and then from 2 pm to 6 pm. But, currently, due to the effect of heat, their working hours have been changed. We have instructed them to complete the cleaning work between 6 am and 12 noon from Monday. Further, we have advised them to carry out further cleaning work after 5.30 pm. This procedure will remain in effect until the heat subsides,” he added.
Further, he said, “We have also arranged to provide drinks including water, buttermilk to the sanitation workers. These are provided in respective zonal offices. Due to this work time change, the sanitation works in the corporation areas will not be affected.”
Trade unions have welcomed this move of the corporation. S Chinnasamy, state general secretary of AITUC, said, “The sanitation workers have already informed us of the difficulties caused by the heat. So we also requested the Erode Corporation to change the working hours. We welcome the decision taken by the Corporation to help theworkers. The working hours of sanitation workers can be reduced even further.”