Corporators cutting across party lines, including from the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), sharply criticised the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) administration over the issue of sanitation at a council meeting held on Thursday.
The elected corporators alleged that sanitation in the city has gone for a toss due to shortage of staff, lack of equipment and safety gear and an absence of proper monitoring.
TDP corporators said that while the number of wards rose from 72 to 98 due to the merging of several villages into the municipal corporation, the number of sanitation workers remained the same. They also complained that many wards lacked sanitation inspectors and Assistant Medical Inspectors to monitor the situation.
TDP corporator (Ward 96) Peela Srinivasa Rao said that there was a severe shortage of sanitation staff in the city, and that corporators are unable to understand how many workers have been allotted to a particular ward.
Deputy Mayor and YSRCP corporator (Ward 46) K. Satish said that the situation is even worse in hillock areas. “While there are six staff, we can see only two or three at work as some would invariably be on leave on any given day,” he said.
Mr. Satish demanded the Mayor to issue instructions such that the corporators can monitor attendance and functioning of sanitation staff as well as Sachivalayam employees.
Citing the issues faced by inadequate sanitation staff, Ward 86 corporator Lella Koteswara Rao demanded the GVMC to recruit and allot at least three additional workers to every sachivalayam in the city.
Corporator of Ward 26 M. Sravani said it was a pity that the GVMC has failed to provide aprons and safety equipment to the workers. Apart from safety equipment, many staff lack basic equipment such as brooms and pushcarts to take up cleaning, she said.
YSRCP corporators alleged that in some areas, two or three workers have to collect waste from 1,700 households, especially from upscale apartment complexes.
Responding to questions from the corporators, Chief Medical Officer K.S.L.G. Sastry said that there are 5,200 sanitation staff including drivers, cleaners, and guards. He added that there is a need to recruit an additional 2,000 workers.
GVMC Commissioner G. Lakshmisha assured the council members that he would take steps to increase the number of sanitation workers as per norms and would put forward proposals before the Mayor at the earliest.
