Sanitation workers continue strike as garbage piles up across Gurugram

Sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram are protesting and preventing the civic body teams from lifting garbage from various city areas. The workers have been on strike for 15 days and are facing issues related to sanitation. The MCG has roped in residents? welfare associations and non-governmental organizations in their cleanliness drive, while officials have warned that the workers will be dismissed as per the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act. The strike may impact trade and commerce and create a negative impression, resulting in loss of investments.

Gurugram: Protesting sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Saturday reiterated that they will not let the civic body teams lift garbage from various city areas.

Gurugram, India-June 03, 2023: Due to MCG sanitation workers strike garbage piles seen spread over old railway road near Jhamb guest house, in Gurugram, India, on Saturday, 03 June 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Leena Dhankar's story)

MCG officials said sanitation workers have been on a protest for the last 15 days and they are facing issues related to sanitation across the city. MCG has roped in residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and non-governmental organisations in their cleanliness drive, officials said.

MCG joint commissioner Naresh Kumar said civic body teams are visiting key city areas every morning around 5am to ensure that the streets are clean. “We have been receiving complaints from our staff that protesters are threatening them with dire consequences and not letting them clean the streets and lift the garbage,” he said.

Kumar said as per the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, sanitation workers cannot go on a strike against the MCG. “We have plans to dismiss them and no jobs will be offered to them by the new agencies that will be roped in from June 16,” he said.

Arun Kumar, a city-based social activist, said that there are many foreign nationals who visit Gurugram for investments. “Such issues will impact trade and commerce and create a negative impression, resulting in loss of investments. The protesters have their own agenda and are not ready to call off the strike. The government will have to take action against them and put them behind bars,” he said.

Naresh Malkat, state secretary of Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh said, “The state government has betrayed us. If the situation remains the same, we will sit on a hunger strike and MCG officials will be held responsible if anything goes wrong. Our demands are clear and simple. Many sanitation workers died of Covid-19 over the past three years, but nothing has been done to recruit workers,” he said.

Nilesh Tandon, president of Fresco Apartments’ RWA in Sector 50 said, “The situation is bad. Garbage is not being picked and the area has turned into a mosquito breeding ground”.