ULBs asked to submit details of sanitation workers to NHRC

LUCKNOW, Uttar Pradesh: The Directorate of Urban Local Bodies has issued notices to municipal bodies in Uttar Pradesh, including the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), for not providing details of manpower and equipment used in cleaning sewer lines and septic tanks to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Earlier, the NHRC and National Commission for Safai Karamchari were not happy with the deaths of sanitation staff engaged in ‘manual scavenging’ across the country. Against the backdrop of this, NHRC asked Government of Uttar Pradesh to provide necessary information regarding the equipment provided to the urban local bodies (ULBs) for sewer and septic tank cleaning. Apart from that, the commission also asked for information regarding the amount spent on drain cleaning from April 15 to June 16, 2022. The state government, in turn, asked the ULBs to provide the relevant information to NHRC.

Recently fresh notices have been issued to a total of 13 municipal corporations in the state, including Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur. Notices have also been issued to the 415 municipal councils and panchayats.

The commission, in its order, has asked the state government to introduce measures for workers engaged in hazardous works. For this purpose use of technology should be enhanced, determining the accountability of relevant agencies and employers should be fixed. Awareness, justice, and rehabilitation should be ensured. Sanitation workers entering the septic tanks and sewer lines should be provided with helmets, safety jackets, masks, gloves, gumboots, safety glasses etc. Pankaj Singh, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Lucknow, said, “All the asked details would be provided to the NHRC as soon as possible. LMC has also directed Jal Sansthan to provide the details of workers involved in the sewer cleaning works.