Mumbai: The 'Swachata Doot' or sanitation workers appointed to supervise day-to-day cleanliness and garbage collection in wards have now lost their interest in the campaign. Many of them have started leaving their jobs due to door-to-door visits and fewer wages, hence defeating the purpose of hiring them. The civic body had appointed 800 swachata doot, while currently 500 have remained, said the civic sources.
BMC plans to bring back clean-up marshals
The BMC is planning to bring back clean-up marshals to the city to maintain cleanliness. The marshals will have the power to collect fines from the citizens for littering and spitting. Apart from marshals, the BMC administration had plans to have a team of 5,000 sanitation workers. Their job will be to visit societies and create awareness among citizens to segregate dry and wet waste. Also, monitor the cleanliness of public toilets across the city, especially in slum pockets. They did not have the power to collect the fine.
A few months back, the first batch of 800 sanitation workers were appointed on a pilot basis. These workers were hired by an agency and were paid ₹15,000 monthly for their services. However, several workers were seen as reluctant to continue their jobs. "They found the job of going door to door and convincing people very tiring. While some say the amount paid to them is much less. Around 300 workers have discontinued their work," said the civic sources.
