Maha mulls low-cost housing for sanitation workers | Economic Times

The government of Maharashtra is considering a plan to provide low-cost and affordable houses to sanitation and solid waste workers in and around Mumbai.The state’s cabinet Minister for Housing Jitendra Awhad has directed authorities including the Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (MHADA) to explore options for devising a plan around the same.“Even as the urban settlements witnessed mass migration, these service providers stayed back in cities and went beyond the call of their duty. It is high time we acknowledge their need for proper housing and therefore we are contemplating a housing scheme for them,” Jitendra Awhad, Housing Minister, Maharashtra, told ET.The minister has initiated this move following a research exercise by Sanjana Runwal, a 17-year-old student from Mumbai through her NGO, the Clean Up Foundation that focuses on supporting garbage workers. Awhad has asked the authorities to study the report and recommendations while preparing a feasibility plan.Earlier this week, town planning authority City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) also announced a special housing scheme with construction of nearly 4,500 low-cost and affordable houses for Covid warriors and uniformed personnel."Garbage and sanitation workers have once again proved the necessity of their services in megapolis like Mumbai in maintaining hygiene during the challenging period of Covid19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It's their commitment and relentless efforts that have saved all of us from the spread of other contagious diseases in these testing times,” Awhad said.To support affordable housing options for sanitation workers, the Clean Up Foundation has suggested the government to promote financial literacy among solid waste workers, as well as housing literacy programmes.“According to our analysis, the dwelling conditions of solid waste workers are deplorable; the buildings are extremely old, and the sanitation facilities are inadequate. Only 39% of them. One of the major constraints to house ownership among solid waste workers is financial problems. In most of the cases, these workers are unaware of the government programmes, financial schemes and benefits available to them,” said Sanjana Runwal, founder, Clean Up Foundation.The NGO, which has been working towards upliftment of garbage workers for four years, has recommended increasing the number of affordable housing complexes by incentivizing private developers through the provision of housing tax credits, higher floor space index (FSI) and GST exemption for cost of construction.She has also suggested that the government can finance affordable housing projects by allocating green development funds for this purpose, as improved living conditions of these workers will enhance productivity in waste management, thereby improving the living conditions of people in the city and promoting sustainable development. The government bodies including MHADA and CIDCO have already been playing a vital role in developing affordable housing provisions for lower income groups. The proposed affordable housing framework for solid waste workers is expected to help in uplifting them, and also support the city's long-term development by improving these workers' efficiency in managing municipal solid waste.