The ongoing strike by sanitation workers since August 6 entered its 13th day on Tuesday, choking various parts of Haryana with heaps of garbage piling up in markets, residential areas and government offices.
On Tuesday, sanitation and municipal employees across the state stepped up their agitation by locking civic offices, holding demonstrations and burning effigies of the state’s local bodies minister, leaving garbage collection and civic services severely disrupted.
The employees, observing August 18 as “Betrayal Day”, accused the state government of failing to implement the 17-point agreement reached with their representatives on May 13. They held protests at several places and warned that the agitation could be intensified further if the government failed to issue written orders implementing the assurances.
Their major demands include regularisation of contractual staff and implementation of minimum wages for the employees.
Residents living near the dump sites are at the receiving end, complaining of foul smell and mosquitoes throughout the day.
Sunny Budhija from the Ram Nagar area said that the recent rain has added to the woes, making it difficult to stand outside for even a few minutes.
{{/usCountry}}Sunny Budhija from the Ram Nagar area said that the recent rain has added to the woes, making it difficult to stand outside for even a few minutes.
{{/usCountry}}Vanshul Bathla, a resident of Railway Road, said, “Though door-to-door garbage collection is still working, its timings are not fixed due to which shopkeepers throw waste in the corners and there is no lifting. The strike should end at the earliest.”
Earlier in May this year, the state witnessed a similar situation due to the strike, which continued for 14 days.
Angry over the non-fulfilment of their demands, the sanitation staffers protested outside the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Tuesday, locking the civic body’s main gate for almost two hours.
Later, the workers led by Sarv Karamchari Sangh’s Karnal unit chief Sushil Gurjar, and Municipal Employees Union’s district president Raj Kumar burnt effigies outside the mini secretariat and marched towards the residence of mayor Renu Bala Gupta.
The protesters met the mayor’s husband and former BJP officiating district president Brij Gupta, who assured them that their demands would be raised before the chief minister, ULB minister and Karnal MP at the earliest.
In Rohtak, sanitation workers staged a symbolic funeral procession which culminated at Sonepat stand.
Municipal Employees Union district president Shambhu Tank said the workers did not want to inconvenience the public but had been forced to intensify their protest because the government had failed to act on the demands agreed upon on May 13.
In Jhajjar and Bahadurgarh, sanitation workers locked the main gates of the municipal council offices, asked staff to leave the premises and staged sit-ins outside.
Similar action was witnessed in Sonepat, where striking sanitation workers locked the MC office for nearly two hours.
In Narwana of Jind sanitation, workers locked the main gate of the Nagar Parishad office and staged a sit-in, demanding written assurances rather than verbal commitments. Officials reached the spot and held talks with the protesters, but the workers continued their demonstration.
The agitation also intensified in Ratia, where sanitation workers and fire brigade employees locked the municipal office for nearly three hours. In Fatehabad, striking municipal workers locked the council office after asking officials and employees to leave.
The prolonged strike has
deepened the sanitation crisis across Haryana. Even the rainfall has aggravated the problem in several cities with leachate from garbage piles, foul odour and increased insect activity raising concerns over public health.
The Haryana Municipal Employees Union said the government had agreed to the 17 demands on May 13 but has failed to issue formal orders. The government, however, has maintained that action has been taken on 10 of the 17 demands.