Garbage piles up on roads, courtesy strike by workers

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 21

Owing to the indefinite strike launched by sanitation workers under the banner of the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation of the Municipal Corporation (MC), tonnes of garbage has not been lifted from various garbage dumps of the city.

Heaps of garbage have piled up at the dumping plots of Burlton Park, Pratap Nagar, Plaza Chowk, Model Town and fish market in the past two days.

The union members, along with the Punjab Sewermen Association, have halted the collection of garbage and sewer cleaning due to the prevailing uncertainty over regularisation of Class IV employees, along with their other demands which were remained unheard by the state government.

Chandan Grewal, president of the federation, said they had been raising the demands since long. But no decision had been taken yet. Hence, the members were left with no other option but to stop their work.

“What can the staff do? The city needs more employees for cleanliness and sewerage-related works,” said Grewal.

Krishan Pandey, a resident said: “The unlifted garbage and unbearable stench emanating from the wet trash, piled up at the fish market, near Jyoti Chowk, is like a nightmare for residents.”

Karan Singh, a student, while referring to the Plaza Chowk dump said: “As it has been raining these days, it is difficult to walk through roads as the trash spills on to the roads with rainwater.”

“The dumping areas, which are becoming a breeding ground for stray animals, is not a new picture.” he said.

MC Commissioner Diprava Lakra claimed that they did not have any substitute for lifting the garbage. Mayor Jagdish Raja said: “The meeting with Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been postponed. Hence, they have not issued any notification on the demands raised by the members.”

The apathy

More than 500 metric tonnes of unlifted garbage has irked commuters. Besides, residents rued that the garbage had also not been collected from houses. Meanwhile, the MC authorities said they have no alternative to lift up the accumulated trash.