Swacchata Aandolan drowing in manholes
Two news items were dismissed in the corner of national newspapers on Tuesday. Three pourakarmikas breathed their last in manholes filled with excreta in Loni area of Ghaziabad district or North India. They were entrusted with the job of clearing the manhole of human waste. Their deaths hardly made any news because they mean nothing to political parties. Hence the politicians have also maintained distance from this. At the same time, a Poura Karmika has committed suicide in Bengaluru, over non-payment of his salary for the last six months. Though these are separate incidents, they are connected in many ways.
Ever since Narendra Modi assumed office, he has been talking about ‘Swacchata’ or cleanliness. Crores of money is being spent on this. Government even levies separate taxes on people in the name of cleanliness or Swacchata. When one takes stock of what changes have taken place owing to all this sloganeering and collection of taxes, it is hugely disappointing. Even now, men are made to get into the manholes to clear the debris. And if they die there, no one cares about their loss of life. The life that is lost is never compensated. Government is unable to pay even basic salaries to Poura Karmikas. All this lays bare the failure of swacchata aandolan right before us.
Roads do not clean themselves if one puts out ads worth crores by the road sides. The manholes do not clear themselves of debris if lakhs and lakhs is released to respective departments. All the waste does not dump itself in the bins, as soon as PM Modi delivers a speech about that. If the drains, roads and manholes are neat every morning, lakhs of Poura Karmikas work on that. They have been sweeping our roads since ages. If the roads have not been clean after spending many lakhs, it is because our leaders have ignored the Poura Karmikas who are the spine of our hygienic surroundings. Our leaders possibly think that roads would be clean listening to their speeches on the topic.
Swacchata Andolan has to start from giving basic facilities to Poura Karmikas, and ensuring high end technology is used in cleaning roads and manholes. But the Ghaziabad tragedy shows all the money that was collected, was hardly spent on the sanitation workers. Today we speak of competing with China, Singapore etc. We want the world to look at us because we will soon have a bullet train. But the dead bodies of Poura Karmikas tell a different story altogether. Our ISRO has plans to send humans to Mars and Moon. Soon we will have robots helping us in daily chores.
Prime Minister talks about digital banking regularly. But the machines are not used in cleaning manholes though it is feasible. Singapore has taken technology right into manholes and cleaning them. Why is that not possible for Indians? Because in India, there is a caste that is exclusively made to get into manholes. They have to attain their salvation by getting into manholes and clearing the debris. Our own Prime Minister had said this in a public event. He possibly thinks these people do not have feelings and they are lifeless fools. Which is why the money collected for Swacchata Aandolan is not being used for the purpose.
The case of suicide of Poura Karmika in Bangalore is the heights of cruelty. The BBMP made the life of this Poura Karmika miserable by not paying him for six months. When people who work in dire conditions such as this do not get paid on time, what right do we have to speak about health and sanitation?
These poura karmikas work with their entire life at risk. The government has to give them shoes and gloves. But when officers are hardly bothered about paying them their salaries, how do we expect them to be human and duty bound to do good for the Poura Karmikas or even buy them machines to do their work better?
Today, the sanitation contract has been given to private contractors. Though the government has given some benefits to sanitation workers, the private contractors do not pass it on to the labourers. It would be on record, but would have never reached the beneficiaries.
Now if the sanitation worker stop working even for a week, the whole nation will turn into slums. If this country has to be beautiful and clean, the life of Poura Karmikas needs to get better. If they die cleaning manholes, at least Rs 25 lakh needs to be given as compensation. Their children have to be educated for free and their families should get pensions. Because they are as important as the soldiers who guard our borders. They risk their lives to ensure the city, and its roads remain clean. They get into the manholes, risking their lives and never knowing if they would return alive or not. When they lose lives, we need to understand the sacrifice and we need to pay due respects to them by doing our duty towards safeguarding their lives. We need to take this flag of hygiene in our own hands. Only then, the movement would gain some meaning and depth in its significance.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
