GOVT TO DEPLOY 100 MORE SEWER SUCKING MACHINES
Govt approves financial aid to successful bidders belonging to safai karamcharis
NEW DELHI: In a move to provide relief to safai karamcharis in city, Delhi government is going to deploy 100 more automated jet sewer sucking machines.
“It has been decided by the Delhi government to deploy 100 more automated jet sewer sucking machines in addition to 200 deployed earlier through an open bid by the Delhi Jal Board,” said a Delhi government statement.
The state government has approved financial assistance to the successful bidders belonging to safai karamcharis for operating automated jet sewer sucking machines in collaboration with Delhi Jal Board.
Meanwhile, the Delhi SC/ST/OBC/ Minorities Handicapped Financial and Development Corporation (DSFDC) has been implementing schemes of providing financial assistance to the members, which includes people from schedule castes, other backward classes minorities, safai karmchari and persons with disability. An amount of Rs 5,00,000 has been provided to the people.
The decision was taken, after Delhi government claimed the success of earlier machines deployed for cleaning the sewer, especially with the help of automated jet sewer sucking machines.
State government said that by deploying the machines, regular cleaning is done without the person entering the sewere. It also added that the number of complaints of sewer blockages have lowered since the machines have been deployed.
The decision comes in the wake of reports by National Commission of Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) that revealed at least 38 deaths have taken place while cleaning sewers in Delhi in the last two years. However, 64 people have died while cleaning sewers in Delhi since 1993.
Numerous reports revealed deaths of people due to inhalation of toxic gases inside sewers. The persons were sent inside the poisonous hole without any protective gear.
To get rid of this inhuman problem, a pilot project was launched by government of Andhra Pradesh which was studied by the delegation led by Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and found to be suitable, after which the scheme of mechanisation of sewer cleaning has been launched in Delhi.
After successful and satisfactory results, the government felt the need to deploy some more machines as per the need of Delhi. The cost of machine, its fabrication and working capital is Rs 40.16 lakhs approximately.