COIMBATORE: Sanitary workers, who have been rendering selfless service to the society by not shying away from their duty citing Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, seem to be left to work barefoot.
While the city corporation has distributed them gloves and masks, it has failed to address their requirement for footwear. Some of them are managing with sandals.
Following the heavy rain on Tuesday night, four sanitary workers were found cleaning the sludge off Avinashi road flyover underpass in the city on Wednesday morning. While all of them were wearing gloves and masks, three of them were working barefoot.
A sanitary worker, who didn’t want to be named, said, “Civic body officials had distributed gloves, masks and soaps to us after the Covid-19 scare gripped the city. As the quality of masks was not good, we had to spend from our pockets to get better ones to safeguard us from the virus. In this situation, how could we expect the city corporation to give us boots.”
Pointing out that civic body has been distributing boots to its permanent workers once in a year, he said many of them were in the habit of working barefoot, while others were using sandals.
A doctor said, “While it is not as risky as not wearing gloves, working barefoot would put them at the risk of hurting themselves. For instance, they might stamp on broken glass pieces or any hard particles. They are also prone to wound infections, skin allergies and other diseases.” He said it was advisable for them to wear boots whenever they handle waste, and not just during the pandemic.
DMK MLA N Karthik, meanwhile, blamed the city corporation. “It shows how lethargic is the city corporation while dealing with sanitary workers. The gloves and masks that they had distributed were also not of good quality. It is highly condemnable.” He said he had petitioned the officials several times in this regard, but in vain.
Corporation officials were, however, not available for a comment.
While the city corporation has distributed them gloves and masks, it has failed to address their requirement for footwear. Some of them are managing with sandals.
Following the heavy rain on Tuesday night, four sanitary workers were found cleaning the sludge off Avinashi road flyover underpass in the city on Wednesday morning. While all of them were wearing gloves and masks, three of them were working barefoot.
A sanitary worker, who didn’t want to be named, said, “Civic body officials had distributed gloves, masks and soaps to us after the Covid-19 scare gripped the city. As the quality of masks was not good, we had to spend from our pockets to get better ones to safeguard us from the virus. In this situation, how could we expect the city corporation to give us boots.”
Pointing out that civic body has been distributing boots to its permanent workers once in a year, he said many of them were in the habit of working barefoot, while others were using sandals.
A doctor said, “While it is not as risky as not wearing gloves, working barefoot would put them at the risk of hurting themselves. For instance, they might stamp on broken glass pieces or any hard particles. They are also prone to wound infections, skin allergies and other diseases.” He said it was advisable for them to wear boots whenever they handle waste, and not just during the pandemic.
DMK MLA N Karthik, meanwhile, blamed the city corporation. “It shows how lethargic is the city corporation while dealing with sanitary workers. The gloves and masks that they had distributed were also not of good quality. It is highly condemnable.” He said he had petitioned the officials several times in this regard, but in vain.
Corporation officials were, however, not available for a comment.
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