Incessant rain in Bengaluru has thrown normal life out of gear for the last couple of days, with civic personnel struggling to clear blockages and pump out stagnant water to ease the jam condition across the city.
It has forecast the same kind of heavy rainfall over Bengaluru and surrounding districts, as well as coastal and interior parts of Karnataka, until October 18.
A video showed the two civic workers on their hands and knees cleaning clogged drains near Bellandur, close to the Microsoft office. The video, which went viral, was tweeted by Bengaluru Traffic Police warning about moving traffic very slowly. Social media users were outraged after viewing the clip.
One user tagged Karnataka Dy Chief Minister D. Shivakumar, highlighting the requirement of appropriate safety equipment: “Civic workers need shoes, a torch, jacket, and helmet. These are basic essentials for their safety. They are not going to a stadium to play cricket; giving them a T-shirt is a joke.”
Comments started flowing in, and one such user said, “Shameful. Please give them personal protective equipment to protect them from snakes, live wires, etc., and the equipment to perform their tasks safely. A world-class city must provide its employees with safety on work sites.” A doctor felt that this was a sure way to fall prey to leptospirosis, an infection of serious proportions that leads to kidney failure and even death.
Criticism stretched to the city’s budget when a user exclaimed, “Brand Bangalore has no funds to meet the basic needs of civic workers; it’s disgusting and pitiable.”
However, users defended workers by saying they sometimes do not wear safety equipment since they find it cumbersome. “They would have been provided with safety gear, but sometimes workers feel it hinders their performance,” pointed out one user. Another added, “Unfortunately, many workers believe they cannot work effectively while wearing gloves and shoes because of sweat.
