(WITH D/C PHOTO)
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar has strongly stated that no more lives should be lost during sewer and manhole cleaning operations. “Cleaning work must be done using machines. Workers should be trained properly. Human lives are precious and must be protected,” he said while addressing a function held at Rukmini Auditorium on Thursday.
The event was organised by the Municipal Corporation as part of the ‘Namaste Scheme’, where Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and Ayushman Bharat health cards were distributed to sanitation workers by Dr. Kumar himself. Also present were MLA Anuradha Chavan, Additional Commissioner Ranjit Patil, NSKFDC MD Prabhat Kumar Singh, Mahatma Phule Corporation GM Rakesh Bed, and BJP leader Pravin Ghuge, among others.
5 deaths in sewage work spark concern
At the event, Additional Commissioner Ranjit Patil informed that five sanitation workers have died in previous accidents while manually cleaning sewage chambers—one each in 2014 and 2016, and three in 2023. Expressing serious concern, union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar said, “Cleanliness is the first thing people notice whether locals or tourists. Our sanitation workers are the true heroes who keep cities healthy.” Echoing this, MLA Anuradha Chavan added, “A city’s true beauty lies in its cleanliness, not its buildings. That cleanliness comes from the hard work of our sanitation workers.” Patil also noted that the Municipal Corporation is now using robotic machines to clear sewer chokes and reduce the need for manual entry into hazardous areas.
Political absences noted
Before the main event, a demonstration of modern manhole-cleaning machines was conducted. Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat attended the demo but left for a scheduled visit before the union Minister’s address. Notably, many BJP leaders were absent from the main program. MLA Prashant Bamb came briefly to meet the minister but did not attend the function.
(PHOTO Caption - union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar addresses sanitation workers. Also seen are Pravin Ghughe, MLA Anuradha Chavan, and Municipal Additional Commissioner Ranjit Patil.