The shortage of permanent sanitary workers in several Tiruchi Corporation wards, which has reportedly hampered the city’s flood mitigation efforts, has drawn criticism from councillors.
According to Corporation sources, the number of permanent sanitary workers has declined sharply over the years, from about 1,200 in 2019 to just 829 till now. This drastic reduction has placed a heavy burden on the civic body’s efforts to maintain public sanitation across its 65 wards.
Permanent sanitary workers are primarily engaged in sweeping roads and streets, desilting stormwater drains, removing silt, and taking part in special cleaning drives. Their activities are directly monitored by Corporation officials. However, with only a few workers available in each ward, civic services have already been affected. The shortage has also raised concerns about the Corporation’s flood mitigation efforts during the monsoon.
On average, each of the 65 wards now has only about 12 permanent sanitary workers. While some wards manage with as few as six to eight, others have as many as 22. This uneven distribution has left several wards particularly strained, especially in thickly populated residential areas where sanitation demands are high.
A section of councillors has urged the Corporation to regularise workforce distribution, particularly during the monsoon season, when sanitation work becomes more demanding. They also pointed out that leave and sick reports among the limited workforce further reduce manpower, forcing the remaining workers to shoulder an increased workload.
“There are only seven workers in my ward. With such limited manpower, unclogging the drains proved to be a major challenge during the recent rainfall. The Corporation should assess the specific needs of each ward and either appoint more permanent workers or deploy contract workers for these critical tasks,” said K. Suresh Kumar, councillor of Ward 23.
A senior Corporation official said that steps are being taken to strengthen and regularise sanitation teams across all wards. “Additional contract workers have been hired to manage the shortage of permanent staff,” he added.
Published – November 05, 2025 07:10 pm IST
