Sanitation workers in Hajin demand safety gear, essential tools

Bandipora, May 5: Sanitation workers in north Kashmir's Bandipora on Saturday held a protest at the premises of the Municipal Committee (MC) Hajin over lack of protective gear.

The aggrieved sanitation workers and sweepers complained that they lack uniforms, gloves, shoes, and other essential tools to perform the job safely.

The sweepers even said they were not being provided brooms to clean the town area and during large cleanliness drives, they were forced to borrow them.

"We are daily exposing ourselves to a greater risk of infection," Abdul Salaam, a sweeper associated with MC Hajin said.

Salaam who was flanked by his colleagues shared the same concerns and threatened to quit cleaning the town spaces if not provided with the required gear.

"We will not conduct any cleanliness drive in the town from Monday if the department does not provide us with the necessary equipment," another sanitation worker said.

The sweepers who are employed as daily wage labourers noted that as per norms, they too required to maintain hygiene for which the need of protective gear was essential.

"It is also essential for our health and the community hygiene," they asserted, detailing the challenges they face without proper gear, adding, "our health is important too."

The insiders in MC Hajin said the demand for necessary equipment had been raised with the Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Bandipora, who acts as the administrative head of the Municipal committee.