HYDERABAD: D S Lokesh Kumar, the new managing director of Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board, reviewed the board’s functioning at a meeting held here on Thursday.
Reviewing the status of water supply, he told the officials that minimum water levels should be maintained in all reservoirs during the shutdown period as an emergency to supplement tanker filling.
In the light of the death of two labourers in a manhole at Ramkote, Kumar said all manhole covers which are below or above the ground level have to be brought to the road level. All manholes which were buried during re-carpeting of roads should be identified and brought to the road surface for easy cleaning of the sewers.
All the missing and damaged manhole covers have to be replaced with new covers and there should be a sufficient stock of manhole covers in respective sections. All the manholes on trunk sewers and deeper manholes to be provided with safety grills to avoid fatal accidents, he said.
For effective cleaning of sewers, the number of shifts per day of Air-tech sewer cleaning machine should be increased as per need and after obtaining sanction.
A worker should enter a manhole only after the sewerage inspector gives valid clearance. The agency shall employ a ‘competent person’ to conduct a risk assessment, including the use of appropriate equipment, to test the presence of poisonous gases inside the manhole.
The sewerage inspector should implement the safety measures laid down in the sewerage manual and adopt the precautionary measures during the cleaning of manhole.
The sewerage inspector has to provide and inspect all safety equipment like resuscitators and personal protective equipment like approved breathing apparatus, safety helmets, protective clothing, safety masks and rescue ropes, he told officials.