Just one pourakarmika enough for 700 people, says BBMP

Based on "scientific" calculation, the BBMP has stipulated that there should be one pourakarmika (municipal worker) for every 700 residents in the city.

BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad issued an order to this effect on December 22, after the civic body's time and motion study revealed that one pourakarmika can clean for 700 people. If a place requires more workers, an approval has to be taken from the zone's joint commissioner, the order stated.

Corporators from the Opposition parties question how a single person can clean trash generated by 700 people, while solid waste management experts say a pourakarmika can manage up to 750 people in an eight-hour shift.

"The BBMP has   made a good move. They've scientifically calculated the number of pourakarmikas needed," solid waste management expert V Ramprasad said.

The civic body's micro plan specifies that one worker would be deputed for every 550 metres for minor and intermediary roads and 350 metres at major roads. It didn't clarify on precisely how many pourakarmikas will be needed.

The BBMP would require a mere 17,850 sanitation workers for the city's 1.25 crore people. Garbage contractors had earlier claimed that they engaged 32,000 pourakarmikas. The government would do away with contractors and would directly employ pourakarmikas from January 2018.

Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP joint commissioner, solid waste management, said only 18,000 workers had registered with the civic body for biometrics, but there was no information about the remaining 18,000.  

Maitreyi Krishnan from the BBMP Guttige Pourakarmikara Sangh said contractors inflated the numbers to get more money.  

Palike's calculation  

* BBMP requires 17,850 pourakarmikas  

*  Earlier, contractors claimed there were 32,000 pourakarmikas  

* Just 18,000 registered with BBMP for biometrics