The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 50,000 individuals in India, with greater than four,000 deaths in Delhi
New Delhi:
Greater than 30 sanitation staff have died in Delhi after being contaminated by the COVID-19 virus – to which they had been probably uncovered whereas performing their duties amid a viral outbreak that has killed greater than four,000 individuals within the nationwide capital alone and over 50,000 throughout India.
The households of most of those women and men are nonetheless struggling to get the compensation introduced by the MCD (Municipal Company of Delhi).
Many MCD sanitation staff have additionally claimed that they don’t obtain satisfactory protecting tools from the authorities. They are saying that every one they’ve obtained within the identify of protecting gear because the lockdown was introduced in March are some face masks.
“We’re not supplied with something to guard ourselves from the virus. We obtained masks initially however that was months in the past. Officers say there isn’t any inventory now. We now have been demanding masks and sanitisers for a very long time,” Rajkumar, who works at a dumping floor in East Delhi’s Chander Nagar, mentioned.
“Now we have now began to purchase protecting tools on our personal,” he added.
Rajkumar is over 50 years previous and can be a diabetic affected person.
The situation of contract staff is presumably worse, since they concern being fired in the event that they query the authorities. This implies solely everlasting staff could make calls for of the MCD.
“We’re contractual staff. If the MCD staff should not getting something what’s going to we get? No person has come. We now have no gloves or sanitiser. For months we aren’t getting wage, however no person involves ask us,” Sandeep, who has labored on contract for the MCD for over 10 years, mentioned.
At one other dumping floor in east Delhi, this time in Ghazipur, Pritam mentioned he had been given simply two pairs of gloves.
“Is Covid not a illness that impacts sanitation staff? No remedy… nothing is being supplied to us. We’re informed that each few hours it’s best to change the face masks, however we do not know if will we get one other one,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, the EDMC (East Delhi Municipal Company) has denied scarcity of kit to any employee, whether or not everlasting or contract.
“From day one we have now ensured whole distribution of protecting tools. We by no means distinguish between everlasting and contract staff and have ensured masks, sanitisers and gloves are distributed to all staff,” the EDMC mentioned.
Earlier, in a petition filed earlier than the Supreme Courtroom, Solicitor Common Tushar Mehta submitted that the rules issued by the World Well being Organisation (WHO) are binding on the Indian authorities and had been being adopted.
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