The Free Press Journal published an exclusive story on Saturday titled "No Safety Gear Provided To Contractual Workers Hired To Clean Drains". The story's impact was immediate, as the contractual workers have now been provided with safety gear for cleaning the drains.
Earlier, during The FPJ's visit to a site near KEM Hospital in Rasta Peth where drain cleaning work was ongoing, it was observed that the workers were working without any safety gear.
Akshay Kattimani (19), a native of Karnataka, said, "We have been manually cleaning the drains for the last 15 days. We have asked the contractor to provide us with proper safety gear, but we have not yet received it." "We go 3-4 feet down with the help of ladders, without safety belts. It is very tough to breathe due to the toxic gases inside the drain. Plastic bottles, wood logs and other waste materials are stuck inside it. We collect it, fill it in a plastic bag and later with our aide pull it outside," he added.
Another worker, Bhima Kattimani (47), said, "Our daily wages are also low. They have promised to pay us ₹800 per day for working at least 10 hours. We only have bad-quality gloves. No machinery has been provided to us; we are forced to do it manually. Toxic gases are dangerous, but due to illiteracy and for the survival of the family, we are forced to do so."
The contractor, Sandeep Kale, dismissed the allegations, stating that they had provided the safety gear, but the workers did not bring them to the site. Dinkar Gojare, head of the drainage department, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), on the other hand, said that they would look into the matter.
Now, speaking to The FPJ after observing the workers wearing the safety gear, Kale said, "We have provided the required safety gear to the workers and strictly ordered them to wear it. We had made all the arrangements earlier also, but they did not follow them."
Meanwhile, Gojare mentioned, "We warned the contractor for the negligence and ordered him to provide the workers with safety gear. We have strictly instructed all contractors of other sites in the city as well."
