Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday directed the Public Health Engineering Department that sewerage cleaning machines should be available in rotation in all municipal corporations and municipalities of the state.
“The old sewers should be cleaned with machines based on similar technology. Apart from this, sewers should be cleaned with state-of-the-art robotic machines at the places where there is a new sewerage system,” the Chief Minister said while presiding over a meeting of the State Monitoring Committee constituted on the Manual Scavenging Act.
Khattar said that manual cleaning of sewerage is prohibited throughout the state. The Public Health Engineering Department of the State Government is continuously training the sanitation workers to clean with state-of-the-art equipment. Along with making an Act, a State Monitoring Committee has been constituted to impose a complete ban on manual cleaning, he said.
The Chief Minister said that in case of death of a sewerman during sewerage cleaning, his family is being given an assistance of Rs 10 lakh. So far, this assistance amount has been given to the families of 57 sewermen across the state. If private companies engaged in cleaning work are reluctant in giving this assistance, then strict action will be taken against them, he said.
He also directed the officers of the Urban Local Bodies Department to form a committee of employees engaged in cleaning work and make arrangements for awarding contracts related to cleanliness. Along with companies and contractors, sewermen should also be given priority so that this class can also benefit, he added
The Chief Minister further said that the meeting of this State Monitoring Committee should be held on time so that necessary decisions can be taken.