Rest sheds in 67 wards for gig workers, sanitation staff

Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to build permanent multipurpose rest sheds with all basic facilities for gig workers as well as its sanitation workforce in all 67 wards.

The civic body, on an experimental basis, has already created three such facilities, which are also used as attendance hubs for the regular and temporary sanitation workers.

Until now, the city had no place where gig workers like delivery boys, app-cab drivers and couriers could pause without perching on a divider.

The BMC deputy commissioner, N Ganesh Babu, said every ward will have a multipurpose rest shed that will serve both the gig workers and sanitation workforce throughout the year. “While we have created the sheds as attendance facilities for our sanitation workers, they also double up as rest shed for them as well as the gig workers. While the sheds will have a cooling facility in summer, they will act as a shelter in rainy season. In winter, their use may be reduced but they will remain operational,” Babu said.

The sheds are designed not as dormitories but as practical pauses in the middle of long routes. Inside, there are only sitting arrangements with reclining seats. “The structure is simple, clean and dependable. It is a place to drink water, cool down and wait out a sudden downpour," the official said.

As far as the sanitation workforce is concerned, instead of gathering at exposed corners, the workers can check in under one roof, receive instructions and begin work with a few minutes of rest. The same door will remain open for the gig workers who need a safe stop between orders, the BMC officials said.

Its outer front portion can be used as a parking lot for two-wheelers.

The BMC is now looking for suitable spaces in all 67 wards to build permanent rest sheds.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026