Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

FRAT plea to step up sanitation work

Thiruvananthapuram: The Federation of Residents Associations, Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT) has urged the city Corporation and the State government to intensify sanitation activities in the capital city to ward off epidemics.

A press note quoting frat president Pattom Sasidharan Nair and general secretary Paraniyam Devakumar called for a renewed effort to ensure segregation of garbage at source and provide more facilities for Kudumbasree workers engaged in garbage collection.

The press note said maintaining the Kudumbasree workers in the project was of paramount importance. “The success of the Capital City Clean City project hinges on their participation. If they back off, the city may have to face another outbreak of epidemics such as chikungunya or dengue fever. Public health experts have warned that a second attack of dengue fever may lead to haemorrhagic fever that is considered fatal.”

FRAT said the segregation of garbage at source had not been implemented fully. It called for equipping Kudumbasree workers with safety equipment such as shoes and gloves as well as more vehicles and collection trays. “Proposals to organise medical camps for sanitation workers and bring them under a medical insurance scheme have failed to take off,” it added.

G.R. Anil, chairman of the Corporation’s Health standing committee, said the concerns expressed by the Federation were unfounded. “All the issues raised by FRAT are being implemented in a phased manner. We have organised medical camps for Kudumbasree workers and doctors from the Department of Community Medicine at the Medical College are handling regular training sessions for them. A medical insurance scheme is being implemented in phases and the Corporation has also set up a separate fund to help Kudumbasree workers involved in accidents or those in need of emergency assistance.”

Mr. Anil said there was no situation to warrant the exit of any Kudumbasree unit from the garbage collection scheme. “None of the 800-odd workers attached to the 68 units in the city have expressed dissatisfaction with the facilities extended to them.” However, he pointed out that it was the responsibility of the Kudumbasree units to provide safety gear for their workers.

Mr. Anil said the Corporation was planning to enforce the segregation of garbage at source. “As the largest community organisation in the city, FRAT has a responsibility to educate households about the need for segregation,” he added.

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