Vallabai says: "Sanitation workers are the backbone of the waste management system, but most of them work under inhumane conditions, especially without safety gear and social security. With the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) showing no signs of abating, sanitation workers and manual scavengers are at increased risk of exposure to the virus. Our country can't work without them. Ponnamal is one of these sanitation workers. She used to come every day to collect the garbage from our home. I see her when I'm going for walk. She cleans most of our village with her co-workers with out any safety gear. She is a fine example of the system. I strongly believe that she kept us safe during this pandemic. Many workers, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, pilots, railway workers and garbage collectors are braving grave odds every day.