Aafrin Kidwai 
Sanitation workers face immense risk in dealing with potentially COVID infected waste (Picture for representational purpose only)
The Bombay high court (HC) has directed the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) authorities to give details of the companies and prices at which the civic body had purchased personal protective equipment (PPE) kits such as face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers and how often they were being replenished in a bid to contain the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
The Hindustan Times reports that the court sought the NMMC’s response after a petition was filed by Samaj Samata Kaamgar Sangh, a trade union body representing contractual workers’ rights, accusing the civic authorities of not providing any PPE kit to their frontline contractual employees battling the pandemic.
The plea alleged that many contractual essential service workers have contracted SARS-CoV-2 because of the callousness of the civic authorities. At least 24 such workers have been placed either under home or institutional quarantine, it said.
