Comfort fit for conservancy workers: how three Indian cities are getting the ‘measurements’ right

In 2021, when the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs urged all urban local bodies to adopt the new design standards in allotting uniforms to sanitation workers, Indore Municipal Corporation sought an exception.

It was not a move of defiance, but one of concern, concern for its safai mitras, as its conservancy workers are called. More than fitting a design standard for uniform, it wanted uniform that “fit” the conservancy workers, making them feel comfortable.

Indore Municipal Corporation tweaked the design based on feedback from the safai mitras: women preferred saris and men wanted t-shirts, shoes without laces and wrap stoles to cover nose and mouth instead of masks.

Modal fabric was chosen for the sari for its durability and moisture control factor, something better than cotton. Gloves were also customised to ensure greater grip.

Special raincoats and fluorescent jackets are among other accessories.

“A majority of the women were against wearing the two-piece trouser and shirt as they are used to wearing sari with their face covered, which is part of their culture, so we made sure we won their confidence with a design they were ready to wear to work regularly,” says Shraddha Tomar, solid waste management officer, Indore Municipal Corporation.

Safai mitras invited for the opening of a shop in Indore

Those who preferred salwar suits were free to have the red and yellow sari material (each safai mitra gets two sets) stitched into salwar suits. Some are seen wearing an apron depending on the nature of the work.

Of the 10,000 sanitary workers in Indore, nearly 7,500 are engaged as safai mitras and women constitute 60% of this strength, says Shraddha.

More than 80% of the roads are swept manually, and a durable and comfortable attire that gives them dignity and pride of place is when there is compliance. “Safai mitras are the most recognisable people in Indore now. People invite them for shop and restaurant openings, and have ramp walks featuring them,” says Shraddha.

IMC often conducts competitions for sanitation workers and rewards them with gift vouchers. For instance, ‘Sabse neat, apna beat’ required the public to vote for the best safai mitra, chosen by residents based on her behaviour with people, use of personal protection equipment at work and how clean she keeps her area.

During a training programme on using personal protection equipment in a community

When Bengaluru-based non-profit Hasiru Dala (Green Force) launched its Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for waste workers in August 2025, it made the design accessible to all, keeping it open source.

The website www.hasirudala.in gives every detail in the making of the kit which includes gloves, boots, masks and uniform jacket for both men and women; the material is explained; so are the measurements. The design document has a slogan “For the waste pickers, By the waste pickers”, with tortoise as a mascot.

With the help of Foley Design, the team worked closely with the workers to ensure the PPE kit is a well-fitting gear. The pair of dry waste gloves made from cut-resistant synthetic fabric is designed to handle waste of different quality, weight, sharpness and toxicity. It comes with a zippered vent that allows for easy wearing and removal, while also enabling airflow to reduce heat and moisture accumulated during extended use. Likewise the pair of wet waste gloves comes with an extended arm-length design to prevent spillage or skin contact. For those working with textile waste, the mask comes with an air filter.

The protective gear designs are tailored for informal waste workers across India.

Hasiru Dala, 13 years old and engaging largely with waste workers in Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh, has found responses to its PPE kit pouring in from various parts of India. Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, which supervises 20,000 sanitary workers (pourakarmikas) in the city, has warmed up to its design.

Anupriya S, project lead, Saamuhika Shakti in Hasiru Dala, says the informal waste pickers and collectors constitute the major workforce in Bengaluru and our aim is to create impact in this segment.