Close to 25,000 municipal workers, including those involved in tasks like lifting garbage and road sweeping, across the 140-odd urban local bodies in Telangana are to get brand new uniforms and protective equipment in the next few months.
While the uniform would be blue sarees for woman workers, it will be blue shirt and pant with a logo for men. Safety reflective sticker jackets, aprons and facemasks are to be common for most workers and those dealing with sewage will also be given boots. Workers involved in electrical work will be getting helmets and gumboots, according to senior officials of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department.
It will for the second time that such an elaborate exercise of procuring dress material and safety equipment and handing over to the municipal personnel is being taken up on the directions of MA & UD Minister K.T. Rama Rao. It was done for the first time two years ago when gloves, aprons, facemasks, helmets and shoes were given to 17,100 municipal workers, at a total cost of ₹161 crore.
Hastening process
The material is to be procured from National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and other government agencies, which does not require tenders to be called, so that the process can be quickened, informed senior officials, not willing to be quoted.
The same process is likely to be continued this time round and Director of Municipal Administration T. K. Sreedevi has communicated to the district collectors and municipal commissioners concerned seeking details of the requirements to provide dress code and safety equipment to the workers in ULBs for the sake of their safety and hygiene.
Health camps
The district authorities were also advised to conduct health camps for all the sanitation workers on top priority and apart from ensuring necessary follow ups post the health camps.
The workers involved in sweeping, handling garbage, cleaning septic tanks, drains, streetlights and others are vulnerable to health issues and prone to many terminal diseases on the long run, the advisory noted.
Poor health also results in frequent absenteeism, which in turn affects the daily sanitation and hygiene of the urban area. Hence, the DMA office should also be informed by the commissioners and regional directors about the outcome of the diagnoses for necessary action, it was notified.
