'Manual cleaning of sewage line: CMC to blame for continuance'

Manual cleaning of underground sewage lines might continue unintentionally; but even this should not be allowed. If it does, the City Municipal Council will be held accountable, warned Urban Development and Municipal Administration Minister S Suresh Kumar.

He wrote so in a letter to Kolar Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena on Wednesday, after a visit to Andhra Lane in Kolar Gold Fields a day before.

People who continue in the profession of their own accord too should be prevented from doing so, he added.

The Safai Karmacharis should be trained well to take up other jobs. Various organisations, including the CMC should employ them on a daily wage basis and pay them at least Rs 4,000 per month. Loans and necessary equipment should also be provided to workers who wish to be self-employed, said the minister.

Officers should check if KGF still has dry latrines. “If they find any, immediate steps should be taken to close them. Action should also be taken against officers who provided wrong information,” he wrote.

Sewage facilities

Underground drains should be provided within a limited time period to areas in the city that do not yet have such facility. In addition, sewage treatment plants (STP) should also be provided.

“Awareness should also be spread among the citizens, which will help in making KGF free of the system of carrying night soil, instructed Suresh Kumar.

He also instructed the CMC to immediately purchase a sucking machine to clean underground drains.

The minister said that he learnt that daily wage employees of the CMC, Anthoniamma, Alish, Marthamma, Nagaraj, Babu and others, were yet to be paid their salary. He instructed the Deputy Commissioner to look into the matter and take necessary action.

Response

In response to the minister’s letter, Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena said he visited KGF on Wednesday along with the sub-divisional officer and social welfare officer. He added that they spoke to Safai Karmacharis about the matter.

“Handouts have been distributed to spread awareness against the system of cleaning night soil. Activists have also been travelling around in autorickshaws to spread awareness,” he said, speaking with Deccan Herald.

The CMC already has one sucking machine, but a second one will soon be purchased, said the Deputy Commissioner.