Bhubaneswar: While the people are still reeling under the stench emanating from the garbage piles dumped at the Temporary Transit Station (TTS) behind Sainik School, irregularities have now surfaced in ensuring safety from health hazards for sanitation workers engaged by the BMC for waste management and processing.
According to sources, about 200 sanitation workers engaged in TTS. However, many workers could be seen working with bare hands and without masks.
With resentment brewing amongst people and social organizations over the issue of stench from TTS polluting the nearby areas, BMC officials and public representatives are frequently visiting TTS to review the situation. However, they are yet to notice that sanitation workers are working without protective kits which could result in possible health risks.
All sanitation workers shall wear protective kits while handling waste as per the guidelines for waste management and processing. Even ward sweepers shall also follow the rule of wearing hand gloves, special clothes and shoes during collection and segregation.
When contacted, a senior officer of the BMC’s sanitation division said that the BMC had given PPE kits to every sanitation worker. “What will the BMC do if they don’t wear it to work,” the official said.
The main thing is that after speaking once or twice, no further action has been taken by BMC.
Due to the lack of vigil by BMC, the sanitation workers across the city have stopped wearing protective kits during waste collection and segregation. BMC is also barely concerned about the violation of this rule by the workers.
Health experts have opinioned that due to the carelessness of the sanitation workers and the lackadaisical attitude of the BMC, the workers could face serious health issues in the future.
In TTS, piles of garbage are rotting and the stench emanating during segregation is choking the noses of people residing in the vicinity.
Wind Blows Stench To Far Areas!
With the direction of the wind, the stench from the TTS is now reaching about 15 km away. For a few days, the wind was blowing north-east, so the smell reached Pahala. On Thursday, the stench covered the areas of Chandrasekharpur, Niladri Bihar, Saileshree Biha, and Mancheswar.
People have expressed their displeasure with the local people’s representatives and the BMC. The residents of the areas have demanded some permanent solution to the TTS stench.
House Demolition Threats Silence Slum Residents!
Some of the residents living in the slums near TTS said that they have been threatened that their houses will be demolished if they open their mouths in front of media persons about the stench issue.
Waste processing work in 3 shifts from Dec 1!
Sanitation workers at TTS will work in 3 shifts from Friday (Dec 1). BMC has started work on the 2nd Terex Warrior machine for waste management.
Now two trammel machines and two Terex machines are working in TTS. To speed up the waste segregation, work will be done in 3 shifts from tomorrow. In the last 15 days, 2 meters height of waste has been reduced.
