Celebrations have not been part of conservancy worker M. Lakshmi’s routine at the Tirunelveli Corporation.

Even during events such as Independence Day, Ms. Lakshmi and her colleagues always had to finish their work of sprucing up the VOC Stadium in Palayamkottai ahead of the actual celebrations and leave. Before leaving the stadium, their supervisor would tell them to return once the celebrations were over.

The workers would watch from a distance as the Collector hoisted the national flag and received the guard of honour from smart uniformed policemen with gleaming arms, and come back to clean up the premises again.

But on Thursday, when the police accorded a guard of honour to the conservancy workers of the Tirunelveli Corporation for their selfless work amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and nationwide lockdown, it was an emotional moment for Ms. Lakshmi.

The honour was given to all of them in recognition of their selfless service — the brave cleaning operation she and her colleagues are carrying out across the city when others remain indoors amid the COVID-19 threat.

Since we felt that the conservancy workers’ job should not go unnoticed, the police decided to honour them in recognition of their work for the well-being of others, as instructed by City Police Commissioner Deepak M. Damor,” said S. Saravanan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Tirunelveli City.

As City Health Officer of Tirunelveli Corporation Sathish led the conservancy workforcewith their protective face masks, the police presented the honour in the presence of Corporation Commissioner G. Kannan and Assistant Collector (Training) Sivaguru Prabhakaran at the Corporation’s administrative office.