Come Durga Puja and along with the shopping hubs, Kumortuli is the next busiest spot. Keeping the safety concerns in mind for the artisans who are working day in and out, Shrachi group has taken a genuine initiative to build six bio-toilets, restore 10 old ones, place two sanitization tunnels and one contactless hand washing unit for the workers there.
The project, christened as “Nirmal” is an innovative move that has been undertaken considering the hygiene of the workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Steps will also be taken to ensure that the workers are given proper training to use the bio-toilets.
The project was inaugurated at a Press Conference held at Kumortuli area on Wednesday where artisans Gopal Chandra Sarkar and Mala Pal were present, along with dhakiwalas to create a Puja-like atmosphere. Noted Puja theme artists Sanatan Dinda, Bhobotosh Sutar and Amal Sarkar were also present at the event.
Most of the toilets in Kumortuli area were either unhygienic or in a shabby condition. Post lockdown, artisans from Murshidabad and Nadia districts were naturally not inclined to get back to work because of the sanitization problem and fear of contracting Covid-19 due to unhygienic toilets. Hence, they had stopped taking orders for Durga idols.
This is the only time of the year when the artisans earn their livelihood with which they sustain the whole year.
Ravi Todi, Chairman, Shrachi group said, “The most important thing that this pandemic has taught us is maintenance of hygiene. The sanitization situation of Kumortuli was deplorable. The workers could not take the orders of the idol due to the same. With the Pujas knocking on the door and thinking about the huge losses that everybody would have had to face if the idols did not get delivered at the scheduled time, creating the toilets was of utmost importance.”