The ongoing strike by sanitation workers in Punjab took an ugly turn on Friday in Nangal town of Ropar district when protesting workers dumped dead animals and heaps of garbage inside the premises of the Nangal Municipal Council office, leading to chaos and disruption of official work.
The incident created panic among employees and visitors at the municipal council office as foul smell from the dumped waste and carcasses spread across the area. Officials said routine functioning at the civic body office was severely affected for several hours due to the unhygienic conditions.
Eyewitnesses said striking sanitation workers arrived at the municipal council office in the morning carrying garbage and carcasses of dead animals collected from different parts of the town.
The workers allegedly emptied the waste and dumped carcasses of dead animals in the office entrance and in adjoining areas as a mark of protest against the government’s handling of their demands.
The sanitation workers across Punjab have been on strike for the past ten days demanding resolution of long-pending issues related to regularisation of services, salaries and other employment benefits.
The strike has badly affected sanitation services in several towns and cities of Ropar district, including Nangal, Ropar and Anandpur Sahib, where heaps of garbage can now be seen lying on roadsides and in residential areas.
Residents of various localities in Nangal complained that the accumulation of waste over the past several days has created serious health concerns.
“The situation is becoming unbearable. Garbage has not been lifted for days and now even municipal offices are turning into dumping grounds,” said a local resident near the municipal council office. Punjab Education and Local Bodies Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the government was holding talks with representatives of the striking sanitation workers to resolve the issue amicably.
When contacted, Bains said a committee comprising representatives of sanitation workers and officers of the local bodies department was proposed to be constituted to discuss the workers demands and suggest a solution acceptable to all parties.
“The talks are in progress. A committee with representatives of sanitation workers and officials of the local bodies department is being formed. Whatever decision is taken by the committee will be accepted by the government,” the minister said.
However, sources said differences have surfaced among various sanitation workers unions and groups over representation in the proposed committee. The disagreement reportedly intensified tensions within the protesting groups, with some factions alleging that their representatives were being sidelined in the negotiations.
According to sources, the internal rift among worker groups is being seen as one of the reasons behind the aggressive protest witnessed in Nangal on Thursday.
Some sections of the workers allegedly resorted to dumping garbage and dead animals at the municipal council office to mount pressure on the authorities and draw attention to their grievances.
Health experts have warned that prolonged accumulation of waste during the summer season could increase the risk of the spread of diseases and contamination in residential areas. Residents have urged the government and sanitation workers to resolve the dispute at the earliest in the public interest.
