Erode to suspend noon-time waste management duties
Due to escalating heat, the Erode Corporation has decided to suspend work during the afternoon hours till May 31 for its conservancy workers; plans to extend will be decided in June
With scorching temperatures prevailing, the Erode Corporation has decided to suspend solid waste management activities during the afternoon and has revised the working hours for conservancy workers until May 31.
On May 2, temperatures in the district soared to a maximum of 44 degrees Celsius, which is 5.2 degrees Celsius above normal.
The Corporation employs 475 permanent workers and 1,010 temporary workers across all 60 wards in the four zones to collect and segregate municipal solid waste, desilt drains, and sweep bus stands and market premises. Presently, they are engaged in their duties from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
However, due to the escalating heat, the Corporation has decided to suspend work during the afternoon hours.
According to a health ofcer, the working hours have been extended by one hour in the morning, from 6 a.m. to 12 noon, while work in the afternoon has been suspended entirely. “Only workers responsible for cleaning bus stands and market premises remain on duty in the evening,” said an ocer.
Additionally, at the conclusion of their morning shift, workers are provided with buttermilk and kambam koozh (pearl millet porridge) to help them cope with the heat, he added.
The ocer stated that a decision on extending the suspension of work in the afternoon beyond May 31 will be made based on the prevailing conditions in June.
Rain accompanied by strong winds lashed Salem in the early hours of Tuesday, damaging electric lines and disrupting power supply in several parts.
As temperatures continued to hover between 38 and 42 degrees Celsius over the past week, the recent rainfall provided residents with much-needed relief from the scorching heat.
The accompanying winds, however, caused damage to electric lines in certain parts of the district. Tangedco workers were promptly dispatched to the areas, and power was restored after carrying out the necessary repair works.
Furthermore, the rainfall caused sewage water to mix with rainwater, resulting in stagnant water on the roads in market areas and a few other locations. The corporation workers, with the help of mini-excavators, cleared the garbage to ensure proper drainage.
The district received a total rainfall of 139.80 mm.