JAIPUR: In view of the finding that COVID-19 can spread through sewage, the Government of Rajasthan, in an order dated July 6, prohibited manual scavenging of septic tanks or sewage chambers in the state. The state government directed officials concerned to ensure that septic tanks or sewage chambers are cleaned using machines.
“All district collectors and city corporation officials have been ordered to ensure that no worker has to get inside the chamber for cleaning. This work should be ensured completely through machines. No incident of any death because of getting inside the chamber for cleaning of sewerage should happen,” India today quoted Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan, as saying.
In a statement, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) welcomed the decision of the state government and marked this decision as a victory for sanitation workers’ agitation. Gehlot also lauded the work of the cleanliness workers saying that they are also responsible for the state’s success in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.