Panchkula chokes on garbage as sanitation strike enters 3rd week

The situation has worsened with rain, as accumulated garbage mixes with stagnant water, creating foul-smelling and unhygienic conditions

With the sanitation workers’ strike entering its third week, garbage continues to pile up on roads and public spaces across Panchkula, with residents complaining of foul smell, clogged drains and growing concerns over the spread of vector-borne diseases amid the monsoon.

The problem is not confined to residential sectors. (HT File)

Sanitation workers across Haryana have been on strike since August 6, demanding regularisation of their services, abolition of the contractual system, recruitment against vacant posts and implementation of various wage and service benefits.

SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, said Sectors 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 12A, 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20 were among the worst hit. “Garbage scattered on roads is not being collected regularly despite repeated assurances by MC officials,” he said.

The situation has worsened with rain, as accumulated garbage mixes with stagnant water, creating foul-smelling and unhygienic conditions. Tilak Raj Sharma, general secretary of the House Owners’ Welfare Association, Sector 4, said several roads and markets were littered with waste. “The accumulated waste could become a breeding ground for diseases,” he said.

The problem is not confined to residential sectors. Rajneesh Garg, former president of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a Panchkula resident, said Industrial Area Phases 1 and 2 were also affected.

Meanwhile, road gullies in several areas have become clogged with silt, garbage and horticulture waste, increasing the risk of waterlogging during rain. MC commissioner Vinay Kumar said the corporation was taking steps to maintain sanitation despite the strike. He said two road-sweeping machines were being used to clean roads and garbage collection points (GCPs) were being cleared regularly.

Kumar said the MC was also issuing instructions to farmers setting up Kisan Mandis in the city and shopkeepers violating sanitation norms. Around 30 challans are being issued every week, he added.