Bhubaneswar, Aug 24: Odisha has stepped up its efforts to protect sanitation workers from hazardous working conditions, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launching a national workshop focused on achieving zero fatalities in sanitation work.
Pic Credit: https://x.com/CMO_Odisha
The workshop, titled “Mission Zero: Ending Fatalities in Sanitation Work,” was inaugurated at Lok Seva Bhawan as part of Garima Diwas 2026. The Chief Minister also announced that the fourth Saturday of August will be observed every year as Garima Diwas to highlight the dignity, safety and welfare of sanitation workers.
The government is placing greater emphasis on replacing hazardous manual cleaning with modern technology. Machines, robotics and advanced safety equipment are being promoted for sanitation activities where workers may otherwise face serious risks.
“Protecting the dignity of the hand that keeps our surroundings clean is our responsibility,” was the central message of the programme, which focused on creating safer and more humane working conditions for sanitation workers.
An exhibition showcasing modern safety equipment was also organised during the event. The programme additionally included the distribution of work orders for barracks aimed at improving accommodation facilities for sanitation workers.
Experts and government officials from eight states and the Centre participated in the national workshop, sharing experiences and discussing practical ways to prevent accidents and fatalities in sanitation work.
Odisha’s Garima Yojana and its Zero Fatality approach were highlighted during the discussions as initiatives that could offer lessons to other states.
The workshop focused on the wider need for mechanisation, worker training, protective equipment and effective monitoring systems to ensure that sanitation workers are not exposed to dangerous conditions unnecessarily.
The state government’s approach seeks to connect cleaner cities with safer working environments, recognising that public sanitation should not come at the expense of workers’ health, safety or dignity.
The annual observance of Garima Diwas is expected to keep sanitation workers’ welfare at the centre of public and policy discussions and reinforce Odisha’s commitment to eliminating fatalities in hazardous sanitation work.