Ludhiana buckles under weight of mounting garbage as sanitation staff stir continues

With around 6,000 sanitation workers employed by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation remaining off duty, the prolonged deadlock has severely disrupted civic services and intensified concerns over hygiene during the monsoon

Nearly 8,800 metric tonnes of uncollected garbage have accumulated across Ludhiana as the sanitation workers’ strike continued to cripple waste collection, leaving roads, markets and residential neighbourhoods strewn with refuse.

With around 6,000 sanitation workers employed by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation remaining off duty, the prolonged deadlock has severely disrupted civic services and intensified concerns over hygiene during the monsoon.

The agitation stems from the alleged police lathi-charge on sanitation workers in Barnala on July 22.

The protesting workers have been demanding the registration of an FIR against the DSP and SHO concerned, maintaining that they will not resume work until criminal proceedings are initiated.

Across Ludhiana, the impact is visible at several key intersections and residential localities.

At Middha Chowk near Kochar Market, heaps of garbage have encroached onto one side of the road, forcing vehicles into bottlenecks and causing frequent traffic snarls.

At Pratap Chowk, waste has spilled onto the carriageway, while at Cheema Chowk, mounds of uncollected refuse have narrowed the road, slowing traffic movement.

In Model Gram near the bus stand, residents said the stench from rotting garbage has made the area increasingly difficult to navigate.

Residents fear the prolonged accumulation of waste during the monsoon could aggravate sanitation problems by attracting flies and mosquitoes, producing foul odour and clogging drains if the garbage is washed away during spells of rain.

“It is becoming difficult even to drive through these roads. Garbage is lying on the carriageway, traffic keeps getting held up and the smell is unbearable,” said commuter Rohit Kumar.

Model Town resident Neha Sharma said the city was paying the price for the prolonged stalemate.

“The city is beginning to resemble a dumping ground. During the rainy season, rotting garbage, flies and mosquitoes have become a serious concern. The authorities need to resolve the issue immediately,” she said.

The crisis has also exposed the limitations of the city’s waste management system.

Ludhiana generates around 1,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, but the legacy waste processing plant at Jamalpur currently handles only about 300 metric tonnes daily, leaving a shortfall of nearly 800 metric tonnes every day. Over the course of the strike, that deficit has translated into an estimated 8,800 metric tonnes of accumulated garbage across the city.

The municipal corporation had recently announced that the contractor operating the Jamalpur plant had installed additional machinery to enhance processing capacity. However, the continuing strike has overwhelmed the system, underscoring the city’s dependence on uninterrupted daily collection and transportation of waste.

Despite mounting public inconvenience, the sanitation workers have refused to call off the agitation.

Vijay Danav, chairman of the MC Employees Union and a leader of the Safai Karamchari Union, said the protest would continue until an FIR was registered against the police officials concerned.

“Suspending the officials is not enough. We want criminal proceedings. Until an FIR is registered, the strike will continue. Our demands remain unfulfilled,” he said.

Municipal commissioner Ojasvi Alankar acknowledged the gravity of the situation and said the civic body was making efforts to help resolve the impasse.

“The demands are related to the government, but we are continuously conveying the workers’ concerns to the authorities and trying to persuade them. We are hopeful of a resolution soon,” he said.

Repeated calls and texts made to mayor Inderjit Kaur for a comment went unattended.