Hyderabad: The apathy of the GHMC poses a grave threat to workers during the oncoming monsoon. The corporation had decided to purchase 66 mini-jetting machines to clear choked sewerage lines and manholes in peripheral areas in January but not one has landed in the city.
The civic body has not learnt any lesson from the past, even after the death of eight workers, who entered manholes in different parts of the city, in the past three years. In the absence of jetting machines, the sewer lines have to be cleaned manually, which involves high risk.
In November 2016, T. Narsing Rao, a daily-wage worker, died of suffocation while cleaning a manhole in JNNURM Colony while three workers, Srinivas, Satyanarayana and Nagesh, died due to asphyxiation in Madhapur. GHMC officials were relieved that the the deaths did not happen in their jurisdiction.
The corporation has decided to hire 66 jetting machines to clean manholes and sewer lines. The government has accorded Rs 110.134 crore administrative sanction. It was aimed at providing self-employment to SC/ST beneficiaries.
Spotting an opportunity, the public representatives swung into action to buy jetting machines. Public representatives from the TRS have reportedly influenced the corporation officials to change the guidelines of the bidding process in such way that tenders would be finalised in favour of their henchmen. Corporation officials brought the issue to the notice of the government, which has stopped the tender process.
An official said the delay was due to the involvement of TRS leaders. He said guidelines had been framed in such a way that for every one jetting machine, there were 62 agencies willing to provide equipment. He said corporation had decided to pay Rs 11.60 for unclogging manholes and drains for every running meter.
