The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Neck deep in slush, but who cares?

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Friday, Feb 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Neck deep in slush, but who cares?

J.S. Ifthekhar

Manual cleaning of drains still exists in city

— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Civic disgrace: HMWSSB workers engaged in desilting drain lines as heavy rain lashed the twin cities on Wednesday.

Hyderabad: It is inhuman to say the least. But this abhorrent practice continues – of all the places, in the hitech city. Bare-chested men neck deep into the slush trying to clean the choked drain is the most common sight in the twin cities.

This is as detestable as manual lifting of the night soil. However, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, tries to look the other way. Day in and day out one can find the beleaguered Board workers throwing out bucketful of sewage by entering into the manholes.

That such a system exists in the cyber city should have raised the hackles of all those who care for human values and dignity. But none seems to care two hoots. Interestingly, the Board has at least a dozen Airtech machines to clear the choked drains, but manual cleaning persists. In fact, 70 per cent of the work is still done by hand. The other day in the posh Anand Nagar colony near the Ranga Reddy ZP office, two men were busy cleaning the overflowing drain with their bare hands.

They had nothing to protect themselves. No safety glasses, no gloves and no mask either. When contacted, S.P. Sharma, Director (Technical), HMWSSB, said manual cleaning of drains is no longer in use. The Board has acquired small machines to clean the choked drains even in narrow lanes. “Only when there is no flow of water the labourers enter the manholes,” he maintained.

Many a time the unwary workers have died soon after entering the manholes due to inhaling of toxic gases. “But in most cases not even the compensation is paid,” says V.D. Rama Rao, general secretary, Mahanagar Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Employees Union.

All that the sewerage gangs get is ‘dirty allowance’ of Rs. 150. And this again is given only to the permanent workers. The 500-odd hand receipt (HR) labourers get a pittance of Rs. 225 per day for the risky job. Skin diseases and lung infection are common complaints among them. A few months ago the sewerage workers struck work demanding regularisation of services. But their service conditions have not improved. They continue to remain neck deep in slush.

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