Provided protective kits to sanitation workers, WHO guidelines followed: Centre to SC

The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that sanitation workers in the country have been provided with requisite protective kits and the authorities are following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the coronavirus pandemic.

The Centre said this before a bench of Justices N V Ramana, S K Kaul and B R Gavai which was hearing, through video-conferencing, a plea seeking directions to the authorities concerned to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to sanitation workers who are carrying out their work amid coronavirus or COVID-19.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said doctors, healthcare professionals and other "corona warriors" like sanitation workers have been provided requisite protective gears.

Advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the petitioner, argued that sanitation workers are the least protected and vulnerable but proper protective kits have not been provided to them.

When Pracha referred to media reports and said that one sanitation worker had died in Mumbai and such incidents have happened in other places also, the bench observed, "Don't make sweeping statements."