As government allows home quarantine of asymptomatic patients, discrimination and health risk of sanitation workers engaged in directly handling household wastes and garbage have increased in Manipur.
Expressing concern and taking serious note of the matter in a release, the Social Welfare and Upliftment Organisation (SUWO), Imphal, has urged the public to maintain proper waste disposal to prevent the community spread of novel Coronavirus in localities.
Solid waste collection in the state has been severely affected due to the Coronavirus spread and consequent lockdown, the SUWO stated in the release signed by its president Kshetrimayum Umesh Singh on Wednesday.
Apart from the health risk involved, staffs of Imphal Municipal Corporation and NGOs engaged in collection of solid wastes have also been facing social stigma and discrimination during the pandemic, the SUWO said.
Even if the workers are ready to continue their duties, there are many containment zones in the state where they are restricted from entering the area, it added.
Local clubs of several localities in Imphal and other parts of the state where containment measures are imposed following detection of COVID-19 positive residents have taken up strict measures themselves and sealed the entries and exit gates of respective localities, in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease.
Observing that some people are dumping garbage on the roadside and public places, the release added that such action could lead to an outbreak of other contagious diseases.
In view of it, the SUWO has urged the people in the state to maintain proper waste management and dispose of their household wastes at proper places for collection by the sanitation workers when the government relaxes the lockdown protocol or when containment measures are lifted in places.