The sanitation crisis in Karnal city deepened on Tuesday after employees engaged in door-to-door garbage collection extended their support to the ongoing strike by sanitation workers, severely disrupting waste disposal services across the city.
With sanitation workers already on strike for the past 12 days, the support by door-to-door collection employees is expected to worsen sanitation and hygiene conditions in residential colonies, markets and public areas.
The employees have been observing strike since May 1 to press their demands, including regularisation of contractual staff, implementation of minimum wages and fulfillment of long-pending demands of fire service employees.
As per the information, 287 employees associated with the private agency handling door-to-door garbage collection, along with 97 waste collection vehicles, remained off the roads on Tuesday. As a result, the familiar vehicles playing the ‘Swachh Bharat ka irada kar liya humne’ song while collecting waste from homes did not arrive in almost all the localities, leaving heaps of garbage piling up on roads and market places.
“We have supported the strike and will not visit door-to-door for garbage collection from today till the fulfillment of their demands,” said an employee of the private agency.
The impact of the strike was clearly visible across the city as overflowing garbage bins and unattended waste created inconvenience for residents and shopkeepers. Concerns are also growing over possible health hazards if the strike continues for a longer period.
The workers on Monday extended their strike until May 14.
Municipal Employees Union’s Karnal unit president Raj Kumar and other office bearers expressed gratitude to the employees of the agency involved in door-to-door waste collection, for supporting the sanitation workers’ agitation. He said the unity among employees would strengthen the movement and compel the government to accept their demands.
“If employees remain united, the government will have to listen to us and address the long-pending issues of workers,” he said while addressing protesters at the dharna site outside the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) office.
The protest also received support from several political and employee organisations. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) led by district president Surjeet Singh, and others including Phool Singh Majura, Jaipal Punia, extended support to them.
“The government is doing injustice to employees who work tirelessly to keep the city clean. Every worker of INLD stands with the sanitation employees in their struggle,” said Surjeet.
