Civic body's biometric attendance to monitor sanitation workers' work

Nagpur: Amid repeated complaints about sanitation workers skipping duties with impunity, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to implement a facial recognition-based attendance system.

The civic body's Information and Technology department has already launched a one-month trial of the mobile app-based system in the Dharampeth zone. The trial began on April 15 and will continue until May 15. Based on the system's performance in Dharampeth, it will be rolled out across all 10 zones.

The new system requires workers to mark their attendance through facial recognition at designated points, eliminating the possibility of proxy attendance and enforcing greater accountability.

"The new attendance system is our third eye. It will allow us to see what we earlier couldn't," said a senior NMC official. During the trial period, jamadars are visiting designated stations twice a day to mark the attendance of sanitation workers using the mobile app. Around 500 workers, including jamadars, are part of this pilot project. The live image captured via mobile is matched with the photo data in the system to register attendance.

This initiative follows NMC's unsuccessful attempt to monitor workers using smartwatches. That system failed as many workers handed over their devices to others, often unofficial daily-wage replacements, to skip duty. The loophole led to absenteeism, operational chaos, and mounting garbage in several wards.

"This time, we've addressed those loopholes. The new system requires physical presence and face authentication at multiple locations during work hours. The goal is not just attendance but real-time tracking of ground-level work," a senior NMC official told TOI.

Besides curbing absenteeism, the new system is expected to improve response times to citizen complaints about garbage, cleanliness, and sweeping. The mobile application will eventually be integrated with NMC's centralised grievance redressal platform.

Nagpur's sanitation department has long faced challenges, including nearly 50% vacancies and rising complaints about uncollected waste and clogged drains. Civic officials hope this tech-driven solution will lead to visible improvements.

For citizens weary of unswept streets and overflowing bins, the real test will be whether this digital upgrade results in cleaner neighborhoods.

Quote:

The facial recognition system has already been implemented in all NMC offices to enable high-tech monitoring. The pilot project in the Dharampeth zone will conclude soon, after which further decisions will be taken

— Milind Meshram, Deputy Commissioner (IT and Revenue)