The municipal sanitation workers in Mysuru got a new name in an effort to recognize their efforts and boost their morale.Popularly known as the ‘pourakarmikas’, they will now be called ‘Swachchhata Senanis’ akin …

The municipal sanitation workers in Mysuru got a new name in an effort to recognize their efforts and boost their morale.Popularly known as the ‘pourakarmikas’, they will now be called ‘Swachchhata Senanis’ akin ‘cleanliness warriors’, said Mysuru City Corporation Commissioner MK Savitha during pourakarmika day celebrations on Wednesday, organised by Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) at Karnataka Kalamandira, in Mysuru.Reportedly, the city has 1,861 sanitation workers, out of which 900 are women.To honour their role in getting the ‘cleanest city’ tag, a three minute documentary was released during the occasion.The film portrayed the struggle behind their success, highlighting their efforts right from waste collection to its segregation into solid and wet types and eventually getting it ready for processing.At the end of the movie, MCC Commissioner stressed that every citizen can play a role in making Mysuru win the ‘cleanest city’ tag again in future.She urged people to join hands with MCC and encouraged them to segregate waste starting at source, including sanitary napkins to honour the labor of sanitation workers.Commissioner MK Savitha also reminded MCC of their duty to protect the health of the cleanliness workers. She asked them to ensure safety by providing equipment like protective gloves, sarees, health insurance and hold regular health screening camps, collaborating with private hospitals.The corporation is already providing sanitation workers with breakfast, including vegetable bath, bisibelebath, chow chow bath, pongal and chitranna. They also serve eggs on a regular basis and offer sprouts on Sunday.Reportedly, they are feeding 1536 permanent workers including 763 cleanliness warriors and UGD workers and they will consider giving food for temporary workers as well. Cleanliness warriors are the ambassadors of Swachh Bharath mission, said Mysore Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who added that these workers play a major role in keeping the city clean and hygienic, ensuring air, water and soil remain pollution free.In this way, they contribute to improving the health and quality of life of its people, he added.“This contributes to building a healthy society and Vikasith Mysuru and Vikasith Bharath. Expansion of Mysuru as ‘Greater Mysuru’, is vital to maintain the infrastructure and sanitation facilities of new areas which have come up around the city,” he added.Bengaluru-Mysuru corridor among most popular intercity routes in IndiaMysuru DC G Lakshmikanth Reddy said: “The credit of getting cleanest city tag to heritage city Mysuru will go to these cleanliness warriors. They wake up much before everyone and are in the field to maintain cleanliness, irrespective of weather conditions, rain or sun. No matter how big events are held, including Dasara, they clear the waste within a short span.”He then urged the workers to continue the same work during the forthcoming Dasara festivities as well. Former Mayor Narayan said that there should be a government circular for the district administrations to celebrate paurakarmika day at all district centers. On the occasion, cleanliness warriors even showcased their talents. Some of them danced, others sang. Some carved faces on watermelons and others penned poems.Nanjundaswamy, a cleanliness warrior carved the faces of MCC Commissioner M K Savitha, DC G Lakshmikanth Reddy and MCC building on water melons. One staff member Chandrashekar even penned a poem on MCC Commissioner Savitha’s notable works. As many as 66 cleanliness warriors and nine supervisors were honoured for their outstanding performance. Even as their sports meet was held last week, those who won in shot put, pulling rope, 100 meter running, relay, musical chair, lemon and spoon and other contests were given prizes. Some of them even came up with attractive rangolis.Given a holiday, they sat back, enjoyed the event and enjoyed a plantain leaf spread of food. There are 36,000 pourakarmikas in the state, including 1861 in Mysuru, but seven thousand of them, including 1098 in Mysuru are yet to be made permanent. A state level celebration of pourakarmika day will be held at Mysuru Palace ground on September 25.

Source: Deccan Herald