Official pays lip service to sanitation workers

Launches week-long cleanliness campaign in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi commissioner said that the problems faced by sanitation workers should be addressed during a visit to union councils (UCs) 17, 18 and 20 in the garrison city Tuesday as part of the inauguration of a week-long cleanliness drive in the garrison city. ‘It is our duty to clean the city’ is the slogan that focuses on waste management.

He said that campaigns against smog and dengue would continue during this campaign. Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha directed the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) to depute more sanitation workers in the targeted UCs for the duration of the cleanliness drive.

He said sanitation workers should be lauded for the role they play and that employers should ensure they are provided the necessary support and salaries.

In Pakistan, those employed in sanitation work with minimal protective gear and backup, and over a dozen avoidable deaths are reported every year. Sanitation workers are often employed on third-party contracts and face an uphill battle for minimum wage.

During his visit to the UCs, the commissioner met with secretaries and shared literature regarding the role the public can play in ensuring their surroundings stay clean.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2023.