Keonjhar: Armed with brooms, these people who know the importance of cleanliness very well during the tough times of coronavirus are working round the clock to give a hygienic environment to the people of this town.
They are the scavengers of Keonjhar Municipality who are working tirelessly to keep others safe.
Keonjhar Municipality has 180 scavengers, including males and females. They visit all the wards early in the morning, collect garbage, put them into tractors and then dump them at a place away from the town.
In spite of the lockdown, these people haven’t deserted their jobs. They are doing their duties with great enthusiasm as they know the importance of cleanliness during the pandemic. At the same time they said they are maintaining social distancing. Some of them are continuing with their duties even without protective gears like masks and gloves.
“These persons are responsible for providing us with a clean environment. However, nobody thinks about them. They get measly salaries and yet they are putting their lives at risk for us,” said Alekh Chandra Patra, a senior citizen of this town.
“They cannot buy protective gears on their own. So the civic body should provide them with it along with some financial assistance so that they can take care of themselves and their families, Patra added.
The assistant executive engineer of Keonjhar Municipality, Sangram Behera however, said that the cleaning staff are being looked after. “The staff engaged in scavenging is doing their job perfectly. We are also taking good care of them,” Behera informed.
PNN
