Sanitation workers rely on residents for water and toilet facilities amid rising heat; Chennai Corporation to look into improving measures

With the city experiencing high temperatures again this summer, sanitation workers are mostly dependent on residents for drinking water and toilet facilities as they run out of water that they bring from their homes and the public toilets are in a bad shape or found locked.

A 50-year-old conservancy worker in Teynampet Zone said that he had to depend on the kindness of residents for water and shaded areas to rest in between door-to-door collection of garbage. He said that Amma Kudineer in the area remained closed and the food at Amma Canteens was sub-par.

“A few residents also offer us food and buttermilk. As the Corporation’s toilets are often locked, we request people living in government quarters to allow us to use their toilet facilities. We depend on bus stops or stands to keep away from the heat, but not all wards have shelters, especially with the Metro Rail work going on in many places,” he said.

Another worker of Kodambakkam zone, who echoed the sentiments, said that some workers collected oral rehydration solutions (ORS) packets from Government Hospitals to combat dizziness.

Working at nights 

Residents in low-income areas, mostly in north Chennai, are usually more helpful than those in middle or high-income groups, according to Chennai Corporation All Department Employees’ Association general secretary S. Purushothaman.

“It is tougher for those working on the main roads and doing night shifts, as they are the most affected. While the residents will be asleep, the commercial establishments do not allow the workers inside. We petitioned the GCC regarding this in 2020 and orally emphasised upon these needs frequently afterwards too. Councillors must intervene to find a solution,” he demanded.

R. Mohan, Communist Party of India (CPI) State Treasurer and Uzhaipor Urimai Iyakkam district president claimed that many were unaware of ORS. “Private contractors provide uniforms and caps, but the GCC doesn’t. Water sources are scarce, and so workers rely on local residents. Many Corporation-maintained toilets in Ambattur, Royapuram and Tondiarpet zones are locked up or in a bad shape. Men resort to open defecation, while women use ward office facilities twice a day at 7 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. Ambattur Zone has roughly 1,350 workers, 900 women, struggling with limited toilet access. Requests were made in January to improve the condition, but steps were not taken by the Corporation,” he said.

GCC distributes water, buttermilk

Additional Commissioner (Health) V. Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy said water and buttermilk distribution facilities were set up in 194 spots across 15 zones in the city. “Feasibility of increasing facilities based on worker needs will be assessed. The GCC will explore the possibility of providing caps,” he said.