New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson on Friday announced collaboration with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) for an initiative aimed towards welfare of sanitation workers in Tamil Nadu and providing them with PPE kits.

Under the collaboration, Ericsson will support the distribution of PPE (personal protective equipment) kits to over 4,000 sanitation workers across 13 urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu, the company said in a statement.

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This initiative will also see the creation of digital-blended training for effective use of the PPE kits, along with awareness around general health and social welfare issues, among the sanitation workers and their families.

"Considering the importance of sanitation workers, Ericsson India Global Service Pvt Ltd in coordination with the Indian Institute of Human Settlements is providing the PPE, which should be utilised regularly by the sanitation workers.

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"This would ensure safety of sanitation workers and others," IIHS Joint Director (Administration) for the Directorate of Town Panchayats, Uma Maheshwari Ramachandran, said in the statement.

The initiative will indirectly benefit 1 million people who are served by over 4,000 sanitation workers and is expected to be completed by January 14, 2021, the statement said.

Ericsson Global Services Managing Director Amitabh Ray said, "Sanitation workers have been at the frontline in the battle against the pandemic and are among the most vulnerable to contact COVID-19 from discarded waste."

He added that by financially supporting this initiative as part of the firm's CSR programme, safeguards to the health of sanitation workers are expected to improve.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)