City waste collectors exposed to health risk
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 26 2013: With Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) having no health care provisions for workers engaged by NGOs in collecting wastes from the capital city areas many manual labourers face health risk as they are continuously exposed to pollution-related diseases.

The risk is even more serious for the caretaker (chowkidar) appointed by the IMC, and his family who stay in a shanty structure surrounded by wastes at the temporary dumping site in Lamphelpat near the KRYPSA football club ground.

Speaking to the Sangai Express chowkidar Naveen Limbu (40) informed that at an average about 30 truck-load of wastes collected from the city areas and residential pockets of the capital district are dumped at the site on a daily basis.

Since settling at the dumping site about two years back Naveen and his family are informed to have taken Tetanus injection at a nearby pharmacy periodically as precaution but such an effort seems ineffective if one examines swelling and bluish spots on Naveen's limbs.

Waste material dumping site

He is also informed to be currently under medication prescribed by doctors of RIMS Hospital following skin irritation.

Noting that IMC authorities use to conduct free medical camp from time to time, the caretaker desired that health care programmes be initiated by the IMC for the manual labourers working under it.

Formerly engaged for the last 10 years to look after animals (stray cattle) hauled up by IMC employees from around the city, Naveen was assigned the new task of looking after the dumping site with a monthly entitlement of Rs 3100 .

Confiding that his job under the IMC is yet to be regularised, Naveen also conceded that meeting family expenses with the meagre amount continues to be a challenging one.

Mooting that like him, many persons working in waste collection and dumping tasks are exposed to health risk, particularly skin and respiratory diseases, Naveen strongly advocated joint effort by IMC and Health Department authorities to conduct regular health check-up programmes and other needful measures.

Further stating that in the initial period the dumping site used to be dug up by excavators in order to prevent scattering of the wastes, the caretaker said constant dumping has led to overflowing with discarded materials, many of which contains hazardous materials.

Another cause of anxiety for naveen is said to be fire at the dumping site as such burning continues to rage for weeks.

recounting a similar incident of fire during a dry spell in the recent past, he said smoke billowing from burning of waste engulfed the surrounding areas sparking strong protest from the locals.

While he and family members, including his teenage son somehow managed to put out the fire complains from the nearby residents of air pollution caused by the piling stench continue to be a harrowing experience, Naveen said adding that he thus favours rainy season the most inspite of having to endure monsoon-related inconveniences.

According to sources, NGOs such as SSF, WUM, CRED, TACDEF and KWAMS are engaging over 50 individuals for collection and dumping of wastes at the temporary site with their monthly entitlement hovering at the Rs 5000 mark.

On the otherhand, NGO representatives suggested that IMC authorities arrange for sprinkling of chemicals to reduce the stench and prevent disease outbreak.