Kamal Ghorui
Guwahati: After the devastating urban flood in Guwahati, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has come under fire for allegedly deploying workers to manually clean clogged drains.Congress candidate from Dispur, Mira Borthakur Goswami, highlighted an incident in a Facebook Live video on Wednesday, showing a worker cleaning a drain full of sludge in the worst-affected Rukminigaon area near Dispur — at a time when the govt has repeatedly reiterated its resolve to end manual scavenging in the country.GMC, however, denied the allegations. Mayor Mrigen Sarania said the municipality now awards contracts to private parties, and as per the agreements, safety measures for workers are mandatory.Borthakur demanded action against those responsible for violating the law. Under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, manual scavenging is prohibited in the country. The young worker was seen standing in waist-deep water while cleaning the drain through which muddy, polluted water was flowing.“I have visited many foreign countries where workers are provided with hygiene equipment. Such manual scavenging is a major offence,” Borthakur said.Record-breaking April rainfall since Sunday evening wreaked havoc in Guwahati, leaving several low-lying areas submerged till Wednesday morning. Many localities continued struggling to clear the dirt left behind by the artificial floods.During her Facebook Live, Borthakur said while political leaders visiting countries like Australia, Dubai, and Bangkok see municipal workers equipped with gumboots, masks, gloves, and proper uniforms, the situation in Guwahati is pathetic. “We are not in power, so we can only point out to the govt. The boy is 17 or 18 years old, and I asked him whether GMC provides anything for maintaining hygiene,” she said.Mayor Sarania said, “If there has been any violation of legal provisions, we will take action against contractors if we receive a written complaint. But it is sure that he was not a GMC employee.” He added that it must be verified whether the drain in question falls under GMC’s jurisdiction, as some drains in the city are maintained by the PWD.Sarania said over 500 drains in GMC areas have been cleaned recently, all through contractors.Borthakur also criticised the GMC mayor and senior officials, saying they keep sanitiser in their vehicles while workers go down drains without even a shirt. Mocking the “Clean Guwahati, Green Guwahati” slogan, she asked, “Just because they are poor, will the workers not maintain hygiene? Who will be responsible if he falls ill?”
