Gulam Rabbani :
More than seven thousand scavengers have been working in the capital with severe health risk to keep the two city corporations clean. They have reportedly been passing an inhuman and sub-standard life amid unbearable pains, enormous sufferings and serious accommodation problem with deep uncertainty.
These scavengers live and work in unhygienic conditions and the very nature of their occupation exposes them to potentially pathogenic bio-aerosols that may
lead to the spread of various diseases.
Scavengers say, the city authorities don’t supply them sufficient safety equipment like gumboots, hand gloves and raincoat, which are necessary while removing waste. As a result, they have to face health hazards like skin cancer, liver problem, gastric and ulcer. But there is no special treatment or incentive for the community.
Dr A B M Safiullah, Assistant Professor of the Department of Gastroenterology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said, “Every profession has some occupational hazards. If the cleaners of the city corporation areas work without safety measures, then they may be attacked by allergies, stomach pain, asthma and bronchitis lungs, cough and cold, vomiting, hearing disorder, fever, typhoid, malaria and many other diseases.”
Affected scavengers of the capital city have to take treatment with their own, and to continue their duties even in their sickness.
Abdul Latif, General Secretary of Dhaka South City Corporation Scavengers’ Association, said, “We have to work in unhygienic conditions causing serious health hazards to us. But the city corporation never gives us any special incentive.”
“At least 250 scavengers are suffering from regular vomiting in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) area due to lack of medical care,” he said.
“No less then 10/12 scavengers get injured every month due to reckless driving of motor vehicles, particularly while working at night and 20 to 25 die every year for injury-related diseases,” the association GS added.
Ismail Hossain, General Secretary of Dhaka North City Corporation Scavengers’ Association, said, “The city corporation authorities do not supply us useful safety materials like hand-gloves, rain-coat and gumboot. Even the authorities do not give us any health allowance or risk allowance. There is no special arrangement to take care of our health.”
It was seen in the field, the whole operating system of scavenging does not function in an environmentally friendly manner. They became ill due to un-protective way of scavenging.
Harun, Rubel, Amzad Hossain and Babul regularly work in the Kathalbagan area without hand gloves or gumboots. They say that they often get injured in their hands and legs.
Sources said, roughly about seven thousand scavengers get salary from the two city corporations but the real number of scavengers is more than that. These unregistered scavengers are also cleaning the city regularly. They are also facing same problems.
Scavengers are cleaning the other cities and municipal areas of the country. They are also at serious health risk.
According to sources, at least 35 lakh scavengers are part of the scavengers’ community across the country, including the capital. They have also been passing an inhuman and sub-standard life like the two city corporations of Dhaka.
Chief Waste Management Officer of DNCC Commodore M A Razzak said that the city corporation authorities did not have any policy for scavenger recruitment and management. But recently they have drafted a policy and the authorities already approved it. Each scavenger will get at least 12 items as his/her security measure during scavenging.
“The DNCC authorities have contacted with some private clinics and medical college hospitals for the regular check-up and treatment of the scavengers,” Commodore Razzak said.
Additional Chief Waste Management Officer of DSCC Khondaker Milladul Isalm said, his corporation is regularly supplying the scavenging instruments to its scavengers. And few hospitals under DSCC are giving treatment to the scavengers free of cost.
More than seven thousand scavengers have been working in the capital with severe health risk to keep the two city corporations clean. They have reportedly been passing an inhuman and sub-standard life amid unbearable pains, enormous sufferings and serious accommodation problem with deep uncertainty.
These scavengers live and work in unhygienic conditions and the very nature of their occupation exposes them to potentially pathogenic bio-aerosols that may
lead to the spread of various diseases.
Scavengers say, the city authorities don’t supply them sufficient safety equipment like gumboots, hand gloves and raincoat, which are necessary while removing waste. As a result, they have to face health hazards like skin cancer, liver problem, gastric and ulcer. But there is no special treatment or incentive for the community.
Dr A B M Safiullah, Assistant Professor of the Department of Gastroenterology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said, “Every profession has some occupational hazards. If the cleaners of the city corporation areas work without safety measures, then they may be attacked by allergies, stomach pain, asthma and bronchitis lungs, cough and cold, vomiting, hearing disorder, fever, typhoid, malaria and many other diseases.”
Affected scavengers of the capital city have to take treatment with their own, and to continue their duties even in their sickness.
Abdul Latif, General Secretary of Dhaka South City Corporation Scavengers’ Association, said, “We have to work in unhygienic conditions causing serious health hazards to us. But the city corporation never gives us any special incentive.”
“At least 250 scavengers are suffering from regular vomiting in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) area due to lack of medical care,” he said.
“No less then 10/12 scavengers get injured every month due to reckless driving of motor vehicles, particularly while working at night and 20 to 25 die every year for injury-related diseases,” the association GS added.
Ismail Hossain, General Secretary of Dhaka North City Corporation Scavengers’ Association, said, “The city corporation authorities do not supply us useful safety materials like hand-gloves, rain-coat and gumboot. Even the authorities do not give us any health allowance or risk allowance. There is no special arrangement to take care of our health.”
It was seen in the field, the whole operating system of scavenging does not function in an environmentally friendly manner. They became ill due to un-protective way of scavenging.
Harun, Rubel, Amzad Hossain and Babul regularly work in the Kathalbagan area without hand gloves or gumboots. They say that they often get injured in their hands and legs.
Sources said, roughly about seven thousand scavengers get salary from the two city corporations but the real number of scavengers is more than that. These unregistered scavengers are also cleaning the city regularly. They are also facing same problems.
Scavengers are cleaning the other cities and municipal areas of the country. They are also at serious health risk.
According to sources, at least 35 lakh scavengers are part of the scavengers’ community across the country, including the capital. They have also been passing an inhuman and sub-standard life like the two city corporations of Dhaka.
Chief Waste Management Officer of DNCC Commodore M A Razzak said that the city corporation authorities did not have any policy for scavenger recruitment and management. But recently they have drafted a policy and the authorities already approved it. Each scavenger will get at least 12 items as his/her security measure during scavenging.
“The DNCC authorities have contacted with some private clinics and medical college hospitals for the regular check-up and treatment of the scavengers,” Commodore Razzak said.
Additional Chief Waste Management Officer of DSCC Khondaker Milladul Isalm said, his corporation is regularly supplying the scavenging instruments to its scavengers. And few hospitals under DSCC are giving treatment to the scavengers free of cost.
