HYDERABAD: Notwithstanding the recent new initiatives pertaining to upkeep of cleanliness, a top-heavy structure and inadequate infrastructure is eating into the vitals of the health and sanitary wing of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad.

There are other issues which have not come to the fore like the dearth of personnel at the grassroots either to sweep or to supervise, public health workers, dual role of assistant medical and health officers (AMOH), shortage of proper transport fleet and their supervision and so on.

MCH covers a population of 50 lakhs including 12.5 lakhs in slums across seven circles with sanitary supervisors of 52 wards and 48 health assistants.

There are 166 contracts for day (127) and night (39) sweeping at a rough rate of Rs. 65,000 and Rs. 92,000, respectively for a seven-month period.

Each unit has 18 workers and they are in charge of eight kilometres of road stretch. Cleaning work is shared by the municipal workers but work here is getting adversely affected because of retirements, admit officials.

If sanctioned strength for sanitary jawans and others is about 5,500 the vacancies are nearly 1,500. Due to logistics problem MCH is unable to shift personnel from place to another.

"Moreover, most of them are close to retirement and you can't expect super efficient work from them," say officials and feel the proposed rationalisation of units could solve this issue to some extent.

Crucial posts like those of health assistants, sanitary inspectors and sanitary supervisors are also lying vacant.

Confusion on health

There is also confusion on public health and preventive care since AMOHs are bogged down with garbage clearance. "They have no clue about time travel and distance calculations, transport fleet or logistics involved in solid waste management," argue officials.

"Not surprisingly during any outbreak of disease they feel it is the job of urban health post personnel because they are not aware of their main job of taking measures to preventing spread of any disease," they say.

Delay in procuring dumper bins and long haul trucks after the dump yard was shifted to Jawaharnagar from Autonagar also became a problem. Vehicles took double the time to transport garbage and it also got piled up at transfer stations.

Officials say increase in door-to-door garbage collection will reduce litter on roads and moves are on to procure more dumper bins and long haul trucks.

MCH has also decided not to insist on registered welfare associations to hand over the tricycles expecting more to come forward.

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