Protesting closure of compactor, sanitation workers dump garbage at Pratap Chowk in Ludhiana

The protest caused a traffic jam at the busy chowk for nearly one-and-a-half hours, leaving commuters stranded. Residents and shopkeepers in the area also complained of severe stench due to the dumped waste

The city’s sanitation system came under strain on Monday after sanitation workers dumped garbage on the road at Pratap Chowk in protest against the closure of a compactor, leading to traffic disruption and foul smell in the area.

The protesting workers alleged that the situation had arisen due to a strike by drivers of garbage-carrying vehicles and loaders for the past three days, due to which the gates of the Tajpur dump remained closed. (HT Photo)

According to information, workers reached the compactor site with handcarts loaded with garbage collected from nearby areas. However, as the compactor was not functioning, they had to wait for a long. Agitated over the delay, the workers threw the garbage in the middle of the road and started protesting, raising slogans against the government.

The protest caused a traffic jam at the busy chowk for nearly one-and-a-half hours, leaving commuters stranded. Residents and shopkeepers in the area also complained of severe stench due to the dumped waste.

The protesting workers alleged that the situation had arisen due to a strike by drivers of garbage-carrying vehicles and loaders for the past three days, due to which the gates of the Tajpur dump remained closed. They claimed that after collecting waste from households, they were forced to wait for hours to unload it, but the authorities failed to address the issue.

Senior officials of the Municipal Corporation rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the workers. The protest was called off after officials assured that the dump gates would be opened immediately and proper arrangements would be made to avoid such incidents in future. The garbage was later cleared from the road.

Meanwhile, an MC official said that due to recent rain, the Tajpur dump had become muddy, due to which loaders were not being sent to the site to avoid accidents. He added that some workers were also creating disruptions at the dump gate, which worsened the situation.

A local councillor alleged that delay in payment of salaries to workers deployed at the compactor had also contributed to the problem. He criticised the government for making promises while failing to ensure timely wages for sanitation staff.

Vipan Malhotra, health officer, said, “A protest was called off and scattered garbage was cleared after sometime”.