After a 14-day strike by sanitation workers, the Karnal Municipal Corporation (MC) launched a special cleanliness drive to clear heaps of garbage accumulated across the city and restore normal sanitation services.
The sweeping and garbage-lifting staff resumed work on Thursday evening and continued operations on Friday, bringing much-needed relief to residents who had been facing severe inconvenience due to overflowing waste on roads and in residential lanes.
The workers, under the banner of the Municipal Employees Union, had launched a statewide protest on May 1 demanding the regularisation of contractual employees, fire brigade workers and the fulfilment of other pending demands.
Following assurances from the state government regarding the regularisation of contractual workers, the employees decided to end their strike and return to duty on Thursday evening.
To tackle the mounting garbage crisis, the KMC launched a special drive involving large-scale deployment of manpower and machinery. Five sanitary inspectors, five supervisors and five safari darogas led the operation. Around 20 tractor-trolleys and JCB machines were pressed into service to lift garbage from different parts of the city.
Municipal teams worked continuously to clear waste from roadsides, market areas and residential colonies. Officials said nearly 300 tonnes of garbage, out of around 800 tonnes accumulated during the strike, had been lifted between Thursday evening and Friday.
The city, which had witnessed foul smells and unhygienic conditions during the strike period, gradually began returning to normal.
Chief Sanitary Inspector Surinder Chopra said nearly 985 sanitation workers had resumed duty. “The situation is gradually coming back on track. We have pressed all our team members into service to lift the garbage and clean the city at the earliest,” he said.
Residents expressed relief after garbage collection resumed. Many said the accumulation of waste had become a major concern over the past two weeks, especially in densely populated localities.
Shopkeepers and residents appreciated the efforts of the sanitation workers and the KMC in clearing the city within a short period after the strike ended.
