Filthy work damaging & damning!

NEW DELHI: In an era where technology can be expected to do most work, the capital of India’s civic authorities have turned the clock back by getting manual scavengers to remove the muck from drains. Workers in orange safety vests arrived at Vinod Nagar in east Delhi and proceeded to shatter the pavements on the service lane of the Delhi-Meerut expressway.They then descended into the murky depths and began shovelling out the accumulated silt.
Deshraj, Rohit, Gulshan, Vinod, Sumit and Chand, all residents of Trilokpuri and Jal Vihar, identified as most labourers are by just their first names, have been tasked to clear the stormwater drain by their contractor and will continue their assignment for three months. Sumit proudly proclaimed, "I am reputed for sewage clearing. It’s become my calling card.”
Deshraj toiled beneath the fractured pavement, stooping uncomfortably in the 2 ft tall drain, scooping out the muck and passing them to his colleagues outside. Vinod expressed his apprehensions, saying, "We can't work in a bent posture in the drain for extended periods. Machine sey pani nikalna chahiye, hum to katori se pani nikalte hain." For their exertions from 9am to 6pm, the six men receive a daily remuneration of Rs 500 from their contractor, whom Rohit mentioned was hired by the Public Works Department.
Nihal Singh, a resident of West Vinod Nagar, was aghast to see the destruction required for the crucial task of preventing flooding of the drains. "It's truly agonising to witness the ravaged pavements where we frequently come for evening strolls,” he sighed.
Following the heaviest downpour in June in 88 years on Friday, the orangeclad men were in a rush on Saturday to finish desilting that particular stretch. And although manual scavenging has been banned in India, the practice continues.
Urban local bodies and private contractors employ people to manually clear clogged sewers and drains of mud, waste and plastic bags.