DESIGN: IBRAHIM YAHYA
LAHORE: All jobs are equally important, but if certain jobs are left undone, they have the potential to create serious problems and can result in immediate public outcry. One such job is sanitary work – a difficult yet extremely important job which is a necessity in every city and town across the globe.
Despite the importance of the job, the working conditions for sanitary workers in Pakistan are not only far from satisfactory and underpaid, but they pose a constant health risk to those involved in the profession.
There is no training or safety gear provided to the workers, as a result of which they are unaware about toxic gases like methane, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia emitted from gutters.
Sources told The Express Tribune that over the past two decades, more than 24 sanitary workers have lost their lives on the spot while cleaning manholes. Still, no step has been taken by the authorities to contain the situation or offer service benefits or safety measures to the poor workers.
Declining number of workers
With rapid urbanisation, the problems, particularly sanitary conditions, have become a challenge for Lahore. Under such circumstances, there is a need for more and more sanitary workers in the city but owing to the dearth of facilities, health safety measures, a lack of service benefits and resources and meagre salaries, the number of people willing to take up the profession is fast becoming scarce.
Even with so many difficulties associated with the profession, sanitary workers are neither respected by society nor are they compensated or lauded on governmental level.
When a poor worker loses his life in the line of duty after performing tasks which most people cannot even imagine doing, the government pays a few thousands rupees to the family of the deceased.
Outdated sewerage system
The Water & Sanitation Agency, Lahore (WASA) is responsible for cleaning sewerage and water supply drains and gutters, a task which requires a cost of Rs13 billion. However, only Rs5 billion is allocated for the purpose.
The sewerage and water supply system of the city was laid down decades ago, which has become outdated because of the regular wear and tear. Although the government made some efforts to change the sewerage and water supply lines in a few areas, more than 80% of Lahore still has the old system in place which is fast becoming non-functional.
According to the available information, there are 200,000 manholes in the city and WASA has divided the sewerage system into 40 sub-divisions for better management. During the monsoon season, nullahs are cleaned with big machineries but the old and worn out underground gutters and sewerage system has to be cleaned manually by the sanitary workers.
There are 2,000 sanitary workers who are assigned to clean over 200,000 manholes and each worker is responsible for cleaning 2.5-3 kilometer-long areas. Their duty hours are not fixed and they have to be on duty whenever required.
Meagre salaries
Per sources, WASA pays Rs1,500 to workers in the name of ‘risk allowance.’ In case of the death of an on-duty employee, pension and dues are paid to the families. Owing to the shortage of workers, WASA tried to sign an agreement with private contractor who also failed to provide facilities and sufficient wages to the workers.
According to the law, WASA must assign the task of cleaning sewerage lines and manholes to an experienced firm equipped with safety measures but there is no implementation of the law. Owing to that, workers continue to die.
Role of non-governmental organisations
The role played by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that voice for the rights of sanitary workers demand the government to offer better facilities has also proven to be futile. Per sources, NGOs are not putting real efforts to bring about a change, rather they only hold meetings and writer letters to the concerned departments.
Speaking on the issue, the Center of Human Right Education Pakistan Director, Samson Salamat said that several meetings were held with high officers of the WASA Department to discuss the issue.
Salamat added that his NGO offers safety training to sanitary workers but the acute dearth of finances has made it difficult for them to help all the workers.
Official contradictions
Even though both the sanitary workers and NGOs stressed that there is no safety training provided to poor employees, the Director-General of WASA, Syed Zahid Aziz said that his organisation regularly conducts training.
“Soon after assuming duty, all sanitary workers are provided them with gas cylinders, compressors, dry suits, gloves, masks and gas detectors. It is due to this reason that no incident of death has been reported in past two years,” he claimed.
Aziz further shared that over 10% of salary is being paid to the sanitary workers in lieu of risk allowance.
“We are paying them according to the scale 1 as per the law. However, the matter of increasing their salaries and provision of several service benefits can be resolved on a federal level,” he said.
The sanitary worker, however, expressed his dissatisfaction with the current status quo and said that WASA officers should ensure the provision of life-saving facilities to the workers both inside and outside of the manholes.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2019.
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