Due to shortage of workers and garbage collection equipment. sanitary activities are hampered under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) limits. Sanitation in a few areas is very bad. The workers are feeling overburdened due to lack of fresh recruitments.
The issue was raised during the recently held GVMC council meeting.
The corporators expressed displeasure over the poor sanitary condition and also complained about the poor door-to-door garbage collection in their wards.
When contacted, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) floor leader and corporator of Ward no. 96 Peela Srinivasa Rao, said neither the door-to-door garbage collection nor the clearance of dump bins is properly done. Dump bins in some areas emanate foul smell inconveniencing public and the situation is worst during monsoon, he said. “Some of sanitary workers from our ward were retired and some were deputed to other wards. Our ward is short of about 25 sanitary staff. Despite repeated representations, there is no response from the officials,” he alleged.
Similarly, CPI(M) leader and corporator from Ward 78, B. Ganga Rao, alleged that due to shortage of staff, roads, drains are not being cleaned properly in his ward.A few corporators alleged that the problem is worst at wards located on hillocks in the city. They also complained that door-to-door garbage collection is not at all happening in these areas, Hanumanthawaka, Kaparada and Arilova.
Corporator of Ward No. 69, K. Govinda Reddy, alleged that the corporation has stopped using hired vehicles for garbage collection, due to which bins are not cleared till late in the afternoon.
According to the GVMC officials, the corporation has around 5,300 sanitation staff, including 700 regular workers. This has been the strength since a decade. According to the GVMC estimates, there is a need of about 2,020 sanitary workers to meet the requirement of the expanded corporation with 98 wards.
“Though the population of the GVMC has gradually increased over the years and many regions like Bheemunipatnam, Madhurawada, Gajuwaka and Anakapalle were merged with the corporation, the strength of sanitation workers is not increased at all,” said a senior officer from the GVMC. As of now, the GVMC has allotted sanitary workers sachivalayam-wise. There are 578 sachivalayams in the GVMC limits. In case of any requirement/ additional need of sanitary work in any sachivalayam limits, staff from other sachivalayams are being deputed.
“There are six to seven sanitary workers in each sachivalayam. They alone need to take up all the door-to-door garbage collection. They also clear the garbage bins, clean roads and drains. Whenever any worker takes leave, sanitation is hit. There is a need of at least around 8 to 10 workers for every sachivalayam,” said a senior official from the GVMC.
Additional Commissioner V. Sanyasi Rao said that the corporation has already written a letter to the government over the recruitment of 2,020 workers to meet the need, for which the GVMC is yet to receive a response.
Speaking on the new garbage collection vehicles, Mr. Sanyasi Rao said that the State government would provide the vehicles to the GVMC on October 2.
