Eros TimesDelhi:EROS TIMES: Delhi Jal Board (DJB) organized a workshop on sewer safety & awareness of the field level sewer workers at the Talkatora Stadium on Monday, July.
It was attended by the Chief Minister of Delhi and Chairman, DJB, Arvind Kejriwal, Vice Chairman, Delhi Jal Board, Dinesh Mohaniya, Chief Secretary of Delhi, Vijay Dev and DJB, CEO, Nikhil Kumar apart from other officials of DJB.
It was attended by huge number of sanitation workers/field level sewer workers.
Interacting with the field staff who work for sewer cleaning during the event, the Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Delhi government will provide this safety kit for free to every worker who works for the cleaning of the sewers.
We will ensure that free kit is given to everyone so that even if the contractor doesn’t provide you with the gear, you use your own gear to stay safe and no untoward incident takes place.”
The Chief Minister also administered oath of safety and security to the workers.
The oath said that no worker will enter in any sewer without proper safety gear and will take proper care of safety.
“When any of our worker dies during the cleaning of Sewers we get so upset and sad.
We have to end this at any cost; we have to do this together.
This can’t be achieved by Delhi Government or Delhi Jal Board alone, this can be done only when we all work towards it,” said the Chief Minister.
“When someone dies in the sewer it makes everyone sad. Delhi Government and Delhi Jal Board are making solid arrangements for your safety. This workshop & training is being done to ensure that no one dies in the manner in which we have seen people die after getting into sewers to clean them. Be it any worker of DJB or of contractor, any worker who gets in a sewer for cleaning must have proper safety gear before getting in the sewer.
Delhi government will provide this safety kit for free to every sanitation worker. We will ensure that free kit is given to everyone so that even if the contractor doesn’t provide you with the gear, you use your own gear to stay safe and no untoward incident takes place,” added the Chief Minister.
“It is not only the government’s job, but you also have to make sure that you don’t get down in the sewer without the safety gear.
Don’t think that it’s a two-minute job and take the risk; please be safe and wear the safety gear before you enter any sewer,” he added.
He said, “Each and every life is important. Your lie is very important for you and your family. It is very important for us. I have seen the families of the deceased cry for them.
My heart cries when I see them. Please don’t be careless.
You all are being given safety gears for free. Please get down in the sewer only after wearing the safety gear. I hope and trust that we don’t hear any sewer deaths at-least in Delhi in future”.
“People from all over the country come to Delhi in search of work and settle down here.
The population of Delhi is growing at a fast pace with each passing day.
We are working on providing electricity, water, roads and sewer at the same pace as the population is growing,” said CM, Arvind Kejriwal.
“When the present government came to power in 2015, only 58% of Delhi used to get water through pipelines. In four and a half years, the scenario has changed and now 93% of Delhi gets water through pipeline.
In 70 years till 2015, the number was 58%, we achieved 35% in just four and a half years and the figure is 93% today.
There are problems in getting water pipelines in some colonies due to legal issues like forest areas, ASI etc.
We will make provision of water through pipeline in rest of Delhi within one – one and a half year,” said the Chief Minister.
“Our first priority is to make people have water through taps at their homes. After this we will work to provide 24-hour water in every household of Delhi. Presently there are areas which receive water for one hour, two hour and so,” added the Chief Minister.
He further added, “Four and a half years ago when we came to power, there were sewer-line in 50% areas of Delhi. In four and half years, we have connected 80% of Delhi to the sewer line network. While the previous government’s added 50% sewer lines in 70 years, we added 30% to it in four and a half years and it is 80% now.
Our target is to achieve 100% network in the next one to two years”.
“It is a worldwide phenomenon that when a city develops, the poor gets neglected.
But our attempt is to take everyone along while we develop our city. We want both the rich and the poor get their share in the development of Delhi and no one gets neglected and no one is exploited,” said the Chief Minister.
He further said, “The present government is very sensitive on the issues plaguing the poor of the society. We raised the minimum wages to Rs. 14,000 per month, which is the highest when compared to other states.
No other government in the country is paying minimum wages at this rate. Many industrialists opposed us when we were raising the minimum wages to Rs. 14,000/- per month. But we made it very clear to them, that we have to raise the minimum wages and this will only boost the economy by increasing the purchasing power of the poor labourers”.
Speaking on the occasion, VC, DJB, Dinesh Mohaniya said, “I am really thankful to you for doing the job of keeping the city clean.
We will ensure that you get all facilities required from us. But you will also have to ensure that you will never compromise with your safety and security. The Chief Minister is always with you as a family member in case of any requirement”.
Speaking on the occasion, the CEO of DJB, Nikhil Kumar said, “I am confident that this training and sensitisation workshop will prove to be an important milestone in our collective quest for ensuring and institutionalisation workplace safety and importance of adequate precaution and safeguards while undertaking sewer related operations”.
Live Demonstration was carried out at the workshop to help the participants understand the right procedure and steps required to clean the sewer and use of the safety gear. DJB had also created committees at divisional level in entire Delhi to identify field level functionaries for sewer cleaning who showed good performance.
These selected 17 DJB workers were felicitated by the CM and other dignitaries with plaques and certificates for their sterling performances towards the organisation.
The Chief Minister also took stock of the machines being used for the cleaning of sewers by the Delhi Jal Board.
The workshop focused on sensitisation of the ground level sewage functionaries regarding the nature of work they do, the risk involved and most importantly the procedure of working in a right way so as to mitigate the risk involved thereby enhancing the individual performances.
Sewage constitutes of waste water comprising of toxic and harmful gases like carbon mono oxide, methane, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen etc which are life-threatening in nature and if not handled in a proper manner it becomes prone to unforeseen accidents.
To avoid such accidents, Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 acts as a milestone.
The workshop aimed at inspiring, encouraging, sensitising and enabling the field level functionaries and officials across all platforms towards proper implementation of PEMSR Act 2013.
Proper implementation of the Regulation will help in reducing the unforeseen accidents along with majorly providing better standards of living.
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