Vishal, one of the helpers in Tigri, says the newer machines have brought some relief to them. “The small size of the vehicle allows us to solve complaints from the narrowest lane. Earlier, it was challenging to enter these lanes with big machines.” He added that older machines only had jetting systems in the vehicle. “But now the vehicles can do jetting, grabbing and rodding. The machines also have a dustbin attached to it which allows you to collect waste and throw it to a distance.” Hence, three new employees arrived with each machine. While most of them told Newslaundry they’re happy with their jobs, many said they weren’t aware of the nature of the job before they joined. Rahul Kumar, one of the helpers in Tigri, says, “All we knew was that there is a vacancy in the Jal Board department. Later we realised it was related to sewage cleaning and we would be taken on a contract basis of seven years. Though we are happy about our new jobs, the fact that it is still not permanent makes us a bit uncertain about our future.”