Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards ensuring the safety, dignity and holistic welfare of core sanitation workers, Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development Department has further intensified the implementation of its flagship GARIMA (Gaurav and Respect for Individuals Involved in Manual Activities) Scheme across all Urban Local Bodies in the State.

The initiative aims to eliminate hazardous manual sanitation practices, promote mechanized sanitation services and provide comprehensive social security benefits to sanitation workers who play a vital role in maintaining urban cleanliness and public health.

Welfare measures

As part of the renewed drive, the Department is undertaking universal identification and registration of core sanitation workers to ensure that every eligible worker is brought under the ambit of welfare and protection measures. To eradicate the risks associated with manual scavenging and hazardous waste handling, ULBs are being equipped with advanced mechanical cleaning machines and modern sanitation technologies. The use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been made mandatory to safeguard workers and ensure adherence to the highest standards of occupational health and safety.

Speaking on the initiative, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Minister, Housing and Urban Development, said, “The GARIMA Scheme reflects our Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring dignity, safety and social security for every sanitation worker. These frontline workers are the unsung heroes who keep our cities clean and healthy. It is our responsibility to ensure that no worker is exposed to hazardous manual practices and that every sanitation worker and their family has access to housing, healthcare, insurance and other welfare benefits. Through GARIMA, we are building a modern, mechanised and humane sanitation ecosystem where every worker is treated with respect and pride.”

Social security for workers

Beyond workplace protection, the GARIMA Scheme provides a robust social security framework designed to enhance the long-term well-being of sanitation workers and their families. Eligible beneficiaries are being linked with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) for access to permanent housing. The scheme also facilitates financial inclusion, healthcare support, periodic health check-ups and health insurance coverage, thereby reducing economic vulnerabilities and ensuring greater social protection.

To provide seamless access to welfare services, grievance redressal and information support, the dedicated GARIMA Helpline – 14420 remains operational across the State, enabling sanitation workers to access information and assistance promptly.

Through these coordinated interventions, the Housing and Urban Development Department is reinforcing its commitment to creating a sanitation ecosystem that is safe, dignified, fully mechanized and socially secure, while recognizing and honouring the invaluable contribution of sanitation workers to urban life and public well-being. The GARIMA Scheme continues to serve as a pioneering model for inclusive urban governance, placing the welfare and dignity of sanitation workers at the heart of Odisha’s urban transformation journey.