Manual scavengers to be rechristened Paribesh Bandhu

In a move aimed at enhancing the dignity and pride of manual scavengers in the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to change the nomenclature of ‘Mathor’ to ‘Paribesh Bandhu’ (Friend of Environment).

The KMC will organise its monthly meeting on Thursday in which they will take a final decision on changing the nomenclature of manual scavengers. The word ‘Mathor’ means a person who cleans sewage. At present, there are around 781 manual scavengers in the city. These people play significant role in terms of cleanliness in our society. This is the reason why the KMC has decided to change their nomenclature to ‘Paribesh Bandhu’ or Friend of Environment.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee and commissioner Khalil Ahmad have selected this name after consulting with a group of socially-conscious people during a meeting on October 6. The Mayoral Council has also supported the move. 

The KMC will start publishing advertisements after getting the final approval on Thursday.