Diwali Is Still Not Over, Rajkot Sanitation Workers Get Public Honour For Keeping The City Clean

Diwali festivities have just ended, but sanitation worker Umesh Vaghela's house is still celebrating.

Earlier this week, all members of his family gathered at Trikon Baug crossroads and kept gazing at a giant LED screen where Vaghela's photograph was continuously rolling. The message on the screen screamed that he was chosen as the 'best safai worker' of the city.

Like Vaghela's, families of several other sanitation workers are filled with pride seeing their members being appreciated publicly.

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The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has come out with this unique way of appreciating and encouraging safai workers to keep the city clean. The civic body has put up full size picture and profiles of those sanitation workers who are going a step further for city's cleanliness.

The profiles of sanitation workers have been put up in 18 LED screens installed at several major crossroads and main roads like Yagnik Road, Kalavad Road, 150 Feet Ring Road. The profiles and photograph keep rolling one after another.

Talking to TOI, Vaghela, who was chosen the best one for November, said, "I am surprised and happy to see my work being appreciated publicly for the first time. My family feels very proud of me."

RMC has formed a committee each for 18 wards to chose the best safai worker every month.

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Municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani said, "We see safai workers as professionals and this is an attempt to appreciate their good work. People should know about those who are keeping the city clean. There are some people who work very hard, but don't get recognition. It's necessary to appreciate their work."

Rajkot is preparing itself for the next Swachhata Sarvekshan (cleanliness survey to be carried out by the central government under the Smart City mission. The sanitation worker who gets chosen thrice for this performance will be publicly honoured.

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There are nearly 2,300 sanitation workers with the RMC.

Environment engineer Nilesh Parmar said, "Public appreciation is a big encouragement for these workers. We will select 216 best workers in the whole year and publicly honour them."