Amid COVID-19 outbreak, Telangana may supply protective gear to garbage collectors

COVID-19

Due to the nationwide lockdown amid the widespread of COVID-19, thousands of industrial quality gloves are lying unsold in Hyderabad and Secunderabad’s wholesale markets. Vasudha Nagraj, High Court Advocate and member of Women and Transgenders JAC suggested that the government may procure the unsold gloves and supply the same to garbage collectors and rag pickers as protective gear.

COVID-19

Nagraj, as her contribution to the cause, bought 400 gloves and distributed in a slum in Mudfort area of Secunderabad. The slum houses nearly 150 families of garbage collectors. Displaying a similar and supportive effort, Montfort Social Institute, Ramantapur, is in the process of procuring 700 more gloves for distribution.

“We could only do what was in our capacity. The government should do it on a large scale,” said Nagaraj.

The JAC addressing the issue on a serious note has written to the high-level committee on COVID-19 on the issue. It  requested the committee to provide the garbage collectors with proper protective gears including gloves, handkerchiefs, towels, soaps and detergents.

Moreover, the JAC asked the committe to provide a bell or  horn to the garbage collecting vehicles, as the whistles they use presently are highly contagious. The JAC also asked to appoint a team of doctors and paramedics to conduct health camps at such colonies where garbage collectors reside. Awareness should be created among the workers and collectors about wearing protective gear, added JAC. Besides this, the JAC also asked to issue the advisory to people in home quarantine about safe disposal of waste.