Kozhikode councillors have called for concerted efforts to solve overcrowding of migrant workers at construction sites.
The majority of migrant workers live in makeshift tents or dingy rooms in the city and its suburbs and do not have access to basic amenities.
Their unhygienic living conditions have been linked to the incidence of diseases, including dengue and malaria, said Janamma Kunhunnuny, chairperson, standing committee on Health of Kozhikode Corporation.
Councillors had raised the issue at a meeting of the city council on Wednesday. P. Shinodkumar, representative of Chelavoor , said migrant workers lived at building sites without toilet facilities.
They defecated in the open on the banks of the Poonoor river. Authorities had failed to respond to complaints, he said.
K. Muhammed Ali, councillor of Vellayil, said the problem faced by migrant workers was a social issue that needed to be sorted out by the civic body. C.S. Sathybhama of Athanikkal said buildings had been illegally rented out to migrants at many places.
The civic body had no details about the persons staying in many places, including those behind the Government Engineering College at West Hill, she said.
However, Mayor A.K. Premajam said the issue of migrant workers was State-wide. Urban centres faced the burden more. The Town Planning Department had been asked to look into unauthorised constructions, if any. The issue would be brought to the notice of the State government, said Prof. Premajam.
Ms. Kunhunnuny said the Corporation had already taken up the issue with the District Collector and the Labour Officer.
A meeting of manpower agencies and building contractors was held to discuss the problem. “Some sort of a regulation is required. May be a licence to check their activities,” she said.
Earlier, the district administration had decided to constitute a panchayat-level monitoring committee to collect details of migrant workers.
This was announced by District Collector C.A. Latha during a discussion on the living conditions of migrant workers. It was found that the majority of them lived in squalid makeshift tents on rooftops of houses.