Ludhiana: Frontline sanitation workers in one of India’s busiest industrial hubs have traded their brooms for briefing notes as part of a new push to slash workplace accidents and bolster urban hygiene.The municipal corporation (MC) of Ludhiana hosted a specialized one-day training intensive in the Civil Lines area this week, targeting the “sewermen” and sweepers who form the backbone of the city’s waste management system. The program, conducted under the federal Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, aims to modernize a workforce often exposed to hazardous conditions.Under the direction of MC commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta, more than 50 staffers were schooled in high-efficiency work practices and strict safety protocols. The curriculum focused heavily on “safe-working” manoeuvres— a critical component for laborers who frequently navigate high-traffic areas and underground sewage infrastructure.The training session, attended by senior officials including SDO Anshul Garcha and JE Gurdeep Singh, also doubled as a public health initiative. Participants were briefed on personal hygiene and health awareness to mitigate the occupational risks inherent in handling urban waste.Beyond internal safety, the staff was tasked with a secondary mission: public diplomacy. The MC is increasingly leaning on its sanitation teams to act as neighborhood ambassadors, educating residents on solid waste management and the necessity of waste segregation at the source. Neeru Gupta emphasized that these sessions are not one-off events but part of a broader welfare strategy. “Such programmes are crucial for ensuring a safer working environment and more effective services,” she said, noting that the civic body is also rolling out regular health check-up camps to monitor the long-term well-being of its manual labourers.
