[Assam] Sewer techno: Use it!! From BBC News/ About Poverty Porn and Then Some

Mon Feb 9 21:44:09 PST 2009

Rather than cribbing we should try to present some solutions and "hope" that someone taes it up. Indian govt is not full of fools (only) , once some viable solutions is suggested at reasonable cost it is generally accepted. For example, initially mobike riders refused to wear helmets - but thanks to education and enforcement everyone wears one. I am alive today becos I wore my helmet when I crashed near midnight on Jan 5, 2003. My helmet cracked near the skull (temple actually) - without it my head would have cracked (maybe it did :-) stiches all over my body though).  Similarly, speed radar guns have been installed to check speed limits - in many cities. Public Smoking is on the way out  

I know many people (thru my father)  who work like Rewa Ram - maybe not that deep stuff everyday - mostly sweeping the roads but some do go down. Ofcourse, they dont like it that they have to go down - but they paid. Just like in the US most plumbers are Latinos - since most white folks won't like to do it - even though the pay is very handsome. I paid $195 for just 30 minutes of work -- he used a snake to clean my bathtub drain ( I had been washing clothes in it :-) Indian style -- no more!!) Technology can make the work much easier:  Here is some info from US govt:
http://www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/sewcl.pdf  
http://www.sewerhistory.org/grfx/maint/swr_cln1.htm

on how to manage the sewer pipes using cctv cameras etc. Further, I am reminded daily of the Indian sewer systems - since there is a "Made In India 1971" manhole cover on my way to the bus stop.

Biometric systems have been installed by Delhi govt for the sweeper attendance - surely they get hi-tech stuff for sewer cleaning too.
 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sci-tech/now-biometric-attendance-machines-for-delhi-sweeperslead_10099490.html

Umesh Sharma

Washington D.C. 

1-202-215-4328 [Cell]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy

Harvard Graduate School of Education,

Harvard University,

Class of 2005

http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)

www.gse.harvard.edu/iep  (where the above 2 are used )

http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/

http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/

--- On Tue, 10/2/09, Alpana B. Sarangapani <absarangapani at hotmail.com> wrote:
From: Alpana B. Sarangapani <absarangapani at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Assam] From BBC News/ About Poverty Porn and Then Some
To: assam at assamnet.org
Date: Tuesday, 10 February, 2009, 12:09 AM

Thanks for posting this, C'da. 
The original post by Ms. Jha is interesting but "what's new?"
comes into the mind immediately after reading it.

> little bit from his 'destiny' and social confinement. The question
I > would ask him would be if his children go to school, only because >
only then will they surface above the drain (underground) and see the > sky..
I appreciate your piece and the analogy intended, but I wish for > you to
bridge Rewa Ram and the space programme, only then can you hit >
anything.> Gaurav Roy Choudhury, India 

I agree with everything that this person has said.

 > Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2009 21:28:54 -0600> To: assam at assamnet.org> From:
cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: [Assam] From BBC News/ About Poverty Porn and
Then Some> > Caution: This may be harmful for your national
self-esteem!!!> > cm> > > > > 'My life cleaning
Delhi's sewers'> >
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7872770.stm>
> India may be spending billions on its high tech space programme but >
its spending on sewers is decidedly low tech and deadly, reports the >
BBC's Rupa Jha.> I will never forget the sight of that thin short man,
wearing nothing > but cotton underpants, strapped into a harness arrangement,
> disappearing down into a dark manhole beneath the streets of my home >
city.> The diameter of the hole was so small that he bruised himself while
> slipping down.> Inside was a dark well, full of sewage, with giant
cockroaches > sticking to the wall.> Before he climbed in I asked him his
name. I was really surprised > when he answered flamboyantly, "Rewa Ram
- Son of Khanjan."> I thought: "He must be educated, seems to speak
some English." But > when I asked him, he said: "No. I'm a
complete illiterate."> When I looked down that hole into the drains of
Delhi, the smell was > overwhelming. Down below, he was coughing, trying hard
to keep > breathing.> He was struggling to clear a blockage with his bare
hands.> Dizzying smell> All of a sudden, a pipe protruding into the drain
above his head > started spewing out water and human faeces that poured over
his body.> > I began to feel dizzy just looking down into this mess.>
My nostrils were filled with that obnoxious smell, a bit like of > rotten
eggs. I wanted to vomit. I felt weak and wanted to run away > from the
smell.> I was born and brought up in India and for the past 15 years I have
> lived in Delhi, the capital city of one of the world's most rapidly
> growing economies. I am a member of the growing, upwardly mobile >
middle class.> I suppose I represent the "roaring Tiger" India, but
I am regularly > shocked and surprised when I see the struggle for dignity
that so > many face here.> Literally beneath the glitter of the big city
lies a vast network of > these dark drains, where so many Rewa Rams are
struggling with toxic > gases and human waste. They suffer disease and
discrimination in > return for cleaning the city's sewage system.>
Deadly job> Rewa Ram is just one of thousands of sanitation workers in India
who > work hard to keep the cities, towns and villages clean.> Most of
them come from the community of lower caste Dalits as they > are known, or
untouchables.> Health experts working in the field told me most of these
workers > would die before their retirement because of the poor health and
> safety conditions they work in. Their life expectancy is thought to > be
around 10 years less than the national average.> Dr Ashish Mittal, an
occupational health consultant, did a survey of > the working conditions of
sewage workers.> He told me most of the workers suffer from chronic diseases,
> respiratory problems, skin disorders and allergies. He said they are >
constantly troubled by headaches and eye infections. I am not >
surprised.> Rewa Ram was pulled out when he started feeling dizzy from the
toxic > fumes in the manhole.> They were thick with a mixture of methane
and hydrogen sulphide, both > considered potentially fatal by the health
experts.> He needed water to clean himself, just a splash on his face could
> have made him feel better.> His colleagues started banging on doors of
the rich neighbourhood > where he was working. Nobody opened their gate.>
Ancient sewers> Human rights activists and trade unionists I have talked to
ask a > simple question. If the government of India can spend billions on its
> space programme, if Delhi can reach all its targets for the >
beautification of the city in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, >
including an underground train system, then why can't the sewage > system
be modernised?> Why does it still rely on sending practically naked men down
below > the streets to clear the drains with their bare hands, being exposed
> to noxious gases which could take them to a premature grave?> I put
these questions to the authorities.> The reply? "We are trying our
best."> It did not really feel good enough after what I had seen.>
The law courts have passed several orders banning human beings from > going
into the sewage system unless it is an emergency.> In Delhi it looks as if
every day is an emergency in the sewers.> Smell of death> I asked Rewa
Ram, still breathless and covered with the sewage from > the drain: "How
do you feel about having to do this work?"> With folded arms, he
replied: "I am not educated, I come from a very > poor family of
untouchables. What else can I expect?> "At least I have a government job
and I am able to feed my children. > I get into this hell everyday but then
this is my job.> "I live smelling death, but it is fine."> But
is it fine? Why should he expect so little just because he comes > from a
lower caste and is not educated?> How can our so-called civil society be so
indifferent to the millions > like him? I, for one, am left feeling
guilty.> From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 7 February,
> 2009 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules >
for World Service transmission times.> Rupa Jha's report on India's
sewage cleaners can be heard on the One > Planet programme on BBC World
Service on Thursday 12 February 2009 to > Saturday 14 February. After
broadcast you can download the podcast > from here.> If you would like to
comment on this story please use the form below. > Here is a selection of
your comments so far.> > Being an Indian myself who was brought up in the
streets of Delhi, I > feel equally guilty for being part of the system which
cannot be > changed to improve the lives of millions of Indians like Rewa
Ram. It > is an excellent article by Rupa Jha showing the realities of so
> called 'Modern India', a true dedication to the profession of >
journalism.> Preet Singh, United Kingdom> Rewa Ram has more dignity and
integrity than those of a so called > higher class have and his story moved
me. We are all interdependent > on each other and need to sweep away
discrimination because of class > or religion and treat each other with
compassion. If not as a planet > or species we have had it> Graham ,
haywards heath uk> > This is just like 1st half of the movie Slumdog
Millionaire. Poverty > at its worst...We Indians have learnt to turn a blind
eye to the > plight of our fellow countrymen who are struggling everyday and
> everyone is just busy leading their own selfish lives including me. >
It's high time that educated middle class people like us make an > effort
to make the government accountable for their actions and > decisions.>
Dimple, UK> It will be a good idea for Rupa Jha to follow up on this story
with > authorities asking them for the work safety rules If they exist. If
> they do, see to what extent they are followed. Should also follow up >
with the court to see what they consider emergency and what safety >
provisions starting from clothes, boots, gloves, respirators, > hazardous gas
detectors etc are to be provided for such emergency > work. Does his employer
provide adequate insurance in case he dies > performing his work? If he
belongs to union, what are they doing to > protect him? Do they lobby the
legislators to write laws for his > safety and if not followed hold his
employers liable for his death? > Perhaps an investigative reporting may
shake up the authorities and > something good may happen for these
workers.> Bharat Shah, USA> It is a pathetic state of affairs, indeed.
However, the change has to > come from the top. For instance, in the state of
Tamil Nadu, humans > have been replaced by special machines to go down into
sewers. > Sustained pressure from the media forced the authorities to do
this. > Change takes time and such changes need to be done fast and >
everywhere.> Raju, Saudi Arabia> I really got the shock of my life after
reading this. Being such a > great nation, India surely MUST look into these
issues and take the > necessary actions immediately.> Harshula, Sri
Lanka> This is a national disgrace.....> Karan Kharyal, India> >
Very interesting and investigative report.> Thomas Kallachil, Scotland> It
is indeed a good attempt by Rupa to bring out the helplessness of > the sewer
workers. These kinds of things are often downplayed by the > Government and
people tend to forget them. This will be a harsh > reminder for the people of
India. A Chandrayaan does bring joy to the > nation but the basics have to be
set right first.> Rahul Nair, India> This man, Mr. Rewa Ram is wearing
rubber gloves. I live in East > Delhi, and I've never seen a sewage
worker wearing these gloves. They > only have their pants on when they go
into the sewage. I appreciate > articles like this, but this article
doesn't even begin to describe > what these 'people' go through.
Newspapers around here often talk > about Human Rights abuse in countries
like China, but I ask myself, > "What Human Rights are they talking
about???" Words like 'appalling' > cannot portray so many things
going on here.> Anonymous Foreigner, India> Poverty in Africa is a
tragedy, whereas in India it is a scandal. The > Indian state and society
have the means and wealth to remove extreme > want, but refuse to engage with
the issue. The gap between intentions > and actions has always been a problem
in this country, and it only > seems to be getting worse.> James whewell,
UK> A friend of mine pointed me to this story. We started discussing >
this, and he suggested that may be we can try raise money to give > masks and
clothing to these hard working citizens. These are some of > the questions
that came up during over conversation. Hoping that the > author of the
article and/or readers can provide some answers. 1) > What are the number of
people who do this kind of work? 2) What is > the body that employs them? 3)
Is there any local organization that > would be interested in delivering
these guys at least basic safety > gear?> Manish, USA> Rewa Ram and
millions like him, have been stripped naked by the > centuries of apathy
dealt out to them by the Hindu caste system. They > have but existed, inspite
of all odds. They do not owe anyone > anything, yet they feel obliged. They
are not inferior yet they feel > it. A mass psychosis of this scale can only
begin to hint at the > atrocities and isolation they have had to sustain.
Today modern India > lives off them, in sewers, in construction sites, in
filthy sweat > shops, taking advantage of their 'lowly' temperaments.
Its true, if > he was not working with the government, he would have been
bonded to > a labour agent for a few grains of rice. But to his credit,
everyday > he goes deep down into the sewer risking his life, he breaks away
a > little bit from his 'destiny' and social confinement. The
question I > would ask him would be if his children go to school, only
because > only then will they surface above the drain (underground) and see
the > sky. I appreciate your piece and the analogy intended, but I wish for
> you to bridge Rewa Ram and the space programme, only then can you hit >
anything.> Gaurav Roy Choudhury, India> I totally agree with the feelings
of Rupa, this gentleman and people > like him deserves far better treatment
and this case study could > serve as an example of still persisting cast
based societal bias in > India, as it were a century ago. India is the only
poor country in > the world that spends too disproportionally for space
programs and > for a billion of its poverty stricken citizens like Rewa
Ram.> Felix Bast, Japan> > > Name> Your e-mail address>
Country> Comments> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > >
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