Sanitary staff work overtime to keep the virus at bay

From contact tracing, collecting samples from them and sending the ones testing positive to hospitals, to conducting surveys disinfection drives and preparing daily report, the sanitary inspectors and workers play a key role in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

What has worsened their workload is the lack of adequate staff, said sources.

“We have to coordinate disinfection drives, door-to-door survey and ensure all the workers have personnel protection equipment. Once we complete the field work, we will go to zonal offices to prepare the report that the head office demands every day. If the Commissioner holds a meeting at the end of the day, we reach the home only after 1 am. There would be late-night meetings at least twice a week,” said a sanitary inspector attached to North Chennai region, where a large number of cases have been reported.

There should be one sanitary inspector for each division of the Corporation. “But nearly half of the 200 divisions do not have any, forcing the remaining sanitary inspectors to look after two or three divisions,” he said.

The revenue officials coordinate the rescue and relief measures. “We collect materials from the volunteers and distribute them to the needy. We are also coordinating the rescue of stranded persons,” said an assistant revenue officer, adding that two property tax accessors in Teynampet and Anna Nagar zones have tested positive.

Meanwhile, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash has issued an order mandating field officials and workers to report to work without leave until the lockdown ends. Zonal officials have been instructed to send the attendance registry of field-level workers to the head office every day.