Why in news
Joy died in the swirl of canal water and the rubbish that the citizens of Thiruvananthapuram threw into the public spaces.
The body was recovered from a stretch of the Amayizhanjan canal, around one km away from where Joy slipped into it
His death has woken the administration up to the high risks sanitation workers face
Amayizhanjan canal
Amayizhanjan canal, is located in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala
Harsh realities faced by sanitation workers
Despite being one of the most important areas of work in society, sanitation workers continue to face social discrimination and stigma.
Most sanitation workers - especially those among the informal workforce - lack access to decent and regular wages and employment opportunities
Usually coming from specific caste groups and marginalized communities, they also face systemic exclusion from
basic health and education services, government schemes, social security measures, alternative livelihood opportunities
The dangers involved in their work
Though the some sanitation workers get gum boots and gloves, many have skin issues or breathing-related complications
A large number of sanitation workers end up with one disease or the other by the time they retire due to constant exposure to waste materials.
Some of those who retire struggle with diseases like filariasis
Need for better working conditions, equipment, and technological solutions
Thus, mechanised solutions for cleaning sewers and septic tanks become essential.
They are pivotal to reducing fatal incidents and improving working conditions.
Providing sanitation workers with good quality and durable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Bandicoot, the robot meant to replace manual scavenging, is being deployed at some places, but not to a scale enough to cover entire cities.
Suction-cum-jetting machines to clear blocks in drains have to be made available to every city
Machinery like mini JCBs to clear the canals and drains
Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU), which is equipped with all required safety devices and protocols and responsible for meeting sanitation emergency requests is a need
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