Thiruvananthapuram Corporation plans steps to bolster safety of staff on night duty after sanitation worker comes under attack from waste dumpers

With increasing instances of sanitation workers of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation facing physical attacks from waste dumpers at night, the civic body is mulling steps to ensure the safety of night squads. Two months after the death of sanitation worker N. Joy who drowned while he was involved in cleaning up Amayizhanjan Canal, leading to heated debates on waste dumping in the city’s canals, the practise continues unabated.

Over the past two months, the Corporation’s squads have seized 30 vehicles for waste dumping, while 33 FIRs have been filed. On Tuesday, Deepu, a sanitation worker of the Corporation was attacked while he attempted to stop a group from dumping waste into the Amayizhanjan Canal. Though the police managed to seize the vehicle, the attackers are yet to be nabbed. The worker, who sustained injuries on his nose, is yet to be discharged from hospital.

“As per the instructions issued in a meeting convened by the Chief Minister in July after Joy’s death, there has been an arrangement with the police under which the sanitation workers deployed at night can get in touch with an officer. This has been effective to an extent. The activities to prevent waste dumping in the canals have also been progressing with a good momentum as three squads are deployed every day. We are thinking of more measures to ensure their safety,” says S. Jahamgeer, Corporation Secretary.

Workers stage protest

The delay in the arrest of the culprits has become a major issue among the workers. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Workers’ Association, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), held a protest meeting at the Corporation against the attack and demanding the police to arrest those involved.

“We are preparing a list of suggestions for the operation of these night squads. Many of them on these duties now go alone or with just one person accompanying. They should ideally be sent as squads with a number of workers. We are also planning to provide them special training to be alert during such instances,” says Kannammoola Vijayan, General Secretary of the Workers’ Association.