In order to improve the standard of living of the city’s cleaners, Dhaka South City Corporations (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) have taken up the initiative to build permanent housing for them. According to the plan, 21 buildings will be constructed by 2021 in two city corporations for about 7,600 registered cleaners working in the capital. The housing will also be for the 4,000 workers who are working on contract basis.
The city corporations of Dhaka go through a huge amount of waste per day. The cleaners employed by city corporations are responsible for keeping the capital of 20 million people clean.
The cleaners are currently unable to find better and proper housing as they cannot afford it. They hardly make enough to be able to afford basic amenities, let alone an apartment.
We feel the government’s initiative to provide housing to the cleanliness workers is a step in the right direction. The city needs to look after its residents, especially those who perform the important job of keeping it clean.
A school will also be constructed under the project for the children of the cleaners. The government might later look into providing financial assistance for higher education for the children living in the housing complexes.
Medical services should also be provided for the cleaners and their families as they have to handle tonnes of wastes every day, which often contains harmful toxic substances and disease-carrying organisms. The workers should be provided with free health checkups and medicine as they carry out such a hazardous job, central to the smooth running of society.
