Bengaluru: For them, it's life down the drain

Bengaluru: Sanitation workers often come to the city ‘s rescue when it has leaking manholes that leave neighbourhoods stinking. But the city has done little for these workers who live in its slums or under makeshift sheds on its outskirts.

One settlement near the Kodanda Rama Temple in Doddanekundi on the outskirts of Bengaluru, is home to families of around 30 contract workers employed by Ramky Enterprises. Three of the company’s sanitary workers died of suffocation in a manhole on Kaggadasapura Main Road on Tuesday.

While dogs guard their tin sheds, the 30 families live a miserable existence in the absence of toilets, drinking water and electricity. One worker,  Nagarathna, (name changed), who migrated to the city from Andhra Pradesh, is a pourakarmika with the BBMP while her husband,  Sundar (name changed) is a sanitary worker.

Nagarathna admits she rises early to attend to nature’s call in the open as there is no toilet in the area. While most women here are contract sweepers,  others are either domestic workers, employed in hotels, or agarbatti rollers.

Mr Bhaskar Reddy, who has been a driver for the past eight years says the sheds regularly flood during rain. “Women and children suffer a lot and are forced to go out to attend to nature’s call. Neither the contractor nor the BWSSB cares about us," he laments.