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HC flags epidemic risk amid sanitation workers’ strikes, seeks Punjab report
Seeking a report by July 22, the court directed that the local bodies secretary must remain present for the hearing, if an affidavit was not supplied
Taking strong note of the ongoing sanitation workers’ strike in parts of the state during the monsoon, which raises the risk of an epidemic, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday directed the Punjab government to file an affidavit within two days, detailing all municipal councils facing such strikes and the steps taken to tackle the “alarming situation”.
“…(the law officer) is not in a position to dispute that an alarming situation with respect to sanitation has arisen in other municipal councils as well where the sanitation workers are on strike. Keeping in view that the monsoon has already set in, this court apprehends that the prevailing situation may lead to the risk of an epidemic,” observed the bench of Justice Pankaj Jain after taking note of the sanitation situation in Sangrur, on which an affidavit had been filed by Ashwani Kumar, executive officer, municipal council, Sangrur.
Seeking a report by July 22, the court directed that the local bodies secretary must remain present for the hearing, if an affidavit was not supplied. During the previous hearing, the court had even observed that the government may consider invoking provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to prohibit such strikes.
The petitioners, Pradeep Kumar and others of Sangrur, had demanded that authorities be directed to ensure regular sanitation, collection and removal of municipal waste, and maintenance of hygienic civic conditions in the city.
According to the petition, Sangrur has a population of 1.2 lakh, generating about 40 metric tonnes of waste every day. Yet the city has no permanent waste-disposal site of its own.
“Any interruption in sanitation services, therefore, results in rapid accumulation of garbage on roads, near residential areas and around public institutions,” the plea said, adding that sanitation workers remained on strike from May 6 to May 22 and had again proceeded on strike from July 8, resulting in stoppage of collection and shifting of garbage despite the fact that monsoon had set in.
