‘Want health insurance for sanitation workers’
MUMBAI: After Rajesh Tambe completed his undergraduate degree in arts from Mumbai University, he could only find work as a computer hardware repairman in a private firm. Unhappy with the job, which was time-intensive and left him with no opportunity to pursue his dream of joining the civil services, he quit in 2015 and joined the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. He was given a job as a sanitation worker. Everyday, he would start his work at 7.30am and spent eight hours cleaning the drains alongside the arterial roads in Mumbai's Chembur suburb. In the evening, he would go back to his home and study for the state public service exam.
Then, Covid-19 hit Mumbai. Starting March 25, when the government clamped a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, Tambe worked 12 hours a day in India’s worst-hit city at the time. Around him, Mumbai teetered on the brink of collapse with hospitals struggling to deal with surging infections and patients sometimes waiting for days for an ambulance. But Tambe went to work, every day, without fail, for three months.
“As only bus services were available, the daily commute was three to four hours,” said Tambe.
Across India, close to 20 million municipal workers like him became an effective frontline force to manage containment zones and provide essential supplies in these areas, apart from carrying out daily santisation of localities. Many of them died due to exposure to the virus and other hazardous waste.
During Covid-19, Tambe was part of BMC’S team that focussed on cleaning and disinfection of public places, considered risk prone areas for local spread of the virus.
“It was a tough time. I avoided going home as I was concerned that I may transmit the virus to my twoyear-old daughter, and this constant thought was an added stress.” Things are better now, he added.
The number of cases have come down drastically in Mumbai, from
Our jobs are the most vulnerable and even during this pandemic, we worked on cleaning areas. The least we expect is medical cover RAJESH TAMBE
its peak of 2,000 cases daily in September to 500-600 cases daily in January.
In Tambe’s Navi Mumbai house that he shares with his wife and daughter, there is relief at the improved condition. “Our situation is way better now than what we faced during Covid-19. During the lockdown, we were unsure if we would get groceries on time and would always fear of running out of money. We somehow sailed through difficult times,” he said.
In its budget 2020-21, BMC allocated ₹239 crores for solid waste management. This includes cleanliness, construction of toilets, and waste management. The civic body spent over ₹1,600 crore for Covidrelated expenses which included cleanliness and sanitisation of public places.
In the Union budget, Tambe wants the Centre to allocate funds for medical insurance of all sanitation workers in the country.
He draws a monthly salary of ₹20,000, and says it is a struggle to meet ends every month. “Our jobs are the most vulnerable and even during this pandemic, we worked on cleaning areas throughout the year. The least we expect is medical cover by the government,” he said.
Tambe, who is preparing for Maharashtra Public Service Commission examination, also hopes for a special scholarship scheme for children of sanitation workers to pursue higher education. “We cannot pay fees of private institutions. The government should provide scholarships to our children,” he said.