Bhubaneswar, August 22: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced that the fourth Saturday of August will be observed as ‘Garima Diwas’ to raise awareness about the safety and security of sanitation workers and strengthen their social security.

Addressing a national workshop on“Mission Zero – Ending Fatality in Sanitation Work” in Bhubaneswar, Majhi said the state government would soon deploy modern technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), camera-based systems and drones, to improve the safety of sanitation workers.

The Chief Minister said sanitation workers face serious risks, particularly while entering septic tanks, where cases of suffocation have claimed lives.

The use of technology, he said, would help reduce human exposure to hazardous conditions and ensure safer working environments for sanitation workers across the state.

Majhi also stressed the need to create greater public awareness about the dignity, safety and social security of sanitation workers and reaffirmed the government's commitment to preventing fatalities in sanitation-related work.