Amid Swachh success, most sanitation workers work without raincoats

Time of India

7 days ago

Bhopal: In Bhopal, the jubilation of achieving second place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan 2025 has been dampened by concerns over inadequate provision of essential equipment to sanitation workers.
The celebration amongst officials stands in stark contrast to the situation of the city's 8,000 sanitation workers, most of whom continue to work through heavy rains without proper protection. Despite the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) placing an order worth Rs 50 lakh for raincoats in July 2024, the implementation remains incomplete after a year.
"I haven't received a raincoat in over a year," said Kalla, who works in Ward 47.
In Ward 43, Gullu Soni shared that his raincoat quickly became unusable from grime and daily wear. Fellow worker Rakesh, also in Ward 43, reported that raincoats had reached the zone office, but were still "awaiting distribution." Meanwhile, Rahul from Ward 69 took pride in Bhopal's national honour but admitted he was still working without a raincoat.
This situation highlights a significant disparity: while Bhopal achieves recognition for its sanitation standards, the essential workers responsible for this achievement lack basic protective equipment. In the areas that contributed to the city's high ranking, the reality of workers performing their duties without proper gear contradicts the celebratory atmosphere.
Despite Bhopal's improved standing in official assessments, sanitation workers persist in their duties of maintaining drains and streets with limited resources. When contacted BMC officials were in Delhi and unreachable.