Only trained hands to be engaged in cleaning sewers

VARANASI: Municipal bodies of east UP region have been asked to engage only trained workers for cleaning sewer tanks and lines to avoid mishaps.
While sharing details of the guidelines for the Swachh Survekshan-2020 among the officials of municipal corporations, municipal boards and town area chairmen of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Azamgarh, Mirzapur, Gorakhpur and Ayodhya divisions here on Wednesday, officials associated with SS-2020 including Vaibhav Rao and KK Bhagat made it very clear that putting lives of sanitary workers at risk by engaging them in sewer tank and lines cleanliness works without proper training is completely prohibited.
Though there is a provision of immediate financial assistance of Rs 10 lakhs for the family of sanitary workers in case of accidental death while doing such work, the municipal bodies should focus on purchasing lifesaving and other necessary equipment for sewage cleaning works as loan facility with nominal interest rate is available on it, they said.
Earlier, divisional commissioner Varanasi Deepak Agrawal in his inaugural address said that municipal and local bodies should keep the prescribed standards for sanitation to maintain on regular basis. He said that the works of making people aware about cleanliness and initiating punitive action against those spreading filth should be done simultaneously.
Other officials from Delhi apprised the participants of the necessary points of the SS-2020 to follow. The SS-2020 is the fifth edition of Swachh Survkeshan, the annual cleanliness survey to assess cities and towns of India on their cleanliness quotient.
Meanwhile, as a part of ‘Swachhta hi Seva’ campaign 2019, district magistrate Surendra Singh carried out a massive cleanliness drive in the Collectorate premises. Initially, he entered the offices of Collectorate and guided his office staff to keep their tables, computer and records clean.
Later, he along with other officials, employees and also lawyers also covered entireCcollectorate premises during in the drive. He asked the participants to take pledge for continuing this drive till people visiting here from country and abroad start recognizing the Varanasi is a clean city.