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Mohali: Sanitation workers threaten strike if no solution found in two days
The primary dumping ground at Phase 8B, Industrial Area, has been closed since June 18, causing turmoil in the city’s waste management system
The Mohali Sanitation Workers’ Union has issued a two-day ultimatum to the authorities, demanding an alternative solution for garbage dumping amid the closure of the Phase 8-B landfill since June 18 following government directives.
If a solution is not provided, they plan to strike work and dump garbage in front of the houses of the mayor, MLA and municipal corporation (MC) commissioner, they said.
Sanitation workers have already stopped garbage collection in certain areas under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), including portions of Aerocity and IT City.
After a meeting on Monday to find a solution to the ongoing garbage crisis, the MC took a firm stance and told GMADA to manage waste from their areas independently.
While the area from Phase 1 till Phase 11, besides Sectors 65 to 80, along with Sector 48 C, comes under the MC limits, the areas under GMADA include Aerocity, IT City, Wave Estate, TDI, GILCO, Sectors 88, 89, 90, 91, 104 and 105, and Balongi.
Following directives from the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC), the primary dumping ground at Phase 8B, Industrial Area, has been closed since June 18, causing turmoil in the city’s waste management system. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is actively monitoring the situation.
Pawan Godiyal, head of the Mohali Sanitation Workers’ Union, expressed, “The situation is deteriorating. Authorities have not proposed any solid solutions. After a two-day ultimatum, we will escalate our protest, halt work across all areas of MC and GMADA, and dump garbage at the residences of the mayor, MLA and MC commissioner.”
Godiyal, also a member of the state body of sanitation workers, remarked, “While we respect the orders of NGT and the courts, we have observed the situation in other parts of Punjab. Across 10 MCs and 23 districts, no other authority has taken such a sudden decision without offering an alternative.”
Meanwhile, mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu urged citizens not to throw garbage at the nearest resource management centres (RMCs) on their own, emphasising that addressing the pressing challenges of cleanliness and waste management in city was MC’s top priority.
