All the permanent civic workers of Mangaluru City Corporation will be covered under the health insurance scheme, said Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer.

Speaking at the sidelines of a sensitisation workshop for civic workers during the World Environment Day programme organised by the Corporation on Monday, the officer said that city had 219 permanent civic workers, 42 alternative civic workers, 623 civic workers working under Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd and 22 working under Unique Waste Processing Company Ltd. The contract agency of the Corporation engaged in collecting and processing waste will also be asked to provide insurance cover for the civic workers working under them, he added.

Cards under the health insurance scheme were distributed to 103 civic workers. The remaining civic workers will be issued the cards shortly. “The health insurance scheme will provide cashless treatment up to Rs 1 lakh a year for civic workers. To claim the insurance benefits, the civic workers will have to be hospitalised for a minimum of 24 hours. The insurance, however, will not cover congenital disease,” explained the commissioner.

Earlier, Mayor Kavitha Sanil, who inaugurated the programme, said that the MCC has given a push to segregation of dry and wet wastes by taking a pledge. “The government has issued a directive to all urban local bodies to focus on segregation of waste collected from households. The MCC is dropping the facility of collection of dry waste once in a week by a vehicle. Instead, vehicles of the Antony Waste Handling Cell Private Ltd, has been directed to collect both dry and wet wastes separately from households,” she said and appealed to the residents to segregate the waste at source before handing it over to the civic workers.

“As a part of the green initiative of the MCC, measures will be taken to plant 1,500 saplings in all the 60 wards in Mangaluru. There is a need to protect environment for the future generation,” she added.

Mangalore University NSS coordinator Prof Vinitha said that segregation of waste at source helps in the effective scientific disposal of garbage. “There is a need to change the mindset of the people on garbage dumping. Let us respect the law and segregate the waste at source before handing it over to the civic workers,” she said.

She appealed to the people to reduce the use of plastic and use the cloth bags. The wet waste collected at home can be converted into manure for use in the garden. Hazardous waste like blades, light tubes, bandages, syringes, electronic goods and sanitary pads should be collected separately.

The civic workers were sensitised on the need for using safety gear like gloves, gum boots while collecting the garbage.
DH News Service