Source : The Hindu Date : 25.06.2009
Garbage lifters up in arms
Staff Reporter
Locals beat them up for dumping garbage at a site designated by the civic officials
SANGAREDDY: Narayana, a garbage lifter, in his 30s, starts his day at 6 a.m. Along with few others he moves around the streets of Sangareddy, the district headquarter town, on his garbage tricycle collecting garbage generated from residential areas.
He then dumps it at places designated by the municipal authorities. Few days back, Narayana was badly beaten up by the locals for ‘dumping’ garbage in the nearby areas, though he had been dumping it at the place identified for the purpose.
Last week, two of his colleagues -- Narasimhulu and Madhu -- were also forced to sit at the dumping yard near ITI in the town, stating that it was creating inconvenience for the locals. For about 21 garbage lifters in town, repeated appeals to the authorities did not yield any result.
Vexed with the officials, the garbage lifters along with their tricycles on Wednesday staged a protest in front of the Collectorate.
No protective gear
“There is no response even after we brought the issue to the notice of the Municipal Commissioner repeatedly. Neither are we provided with gloves nor taken for regular medical check ups,” alleged Madhu. Their woes did not end there. Some of the locals were reportedly puncturing the tyres of their tricycles for dumping garbage in the nearby areas.
“No one is addressing their problems. If they do not lift the garbage, that too during monsoon, there will be chaos in town,” said BJP town leader Jagan, who brought them to the officials.
District Revenue Officer B.S.V.V.S. Murthy assured the garbage lifters of looking into the issue and speaking to the municipal officials in this regard.
