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Waste collection: Crisis deepens in Lucknow as worker shortage persists
Lucknow faces a waste collection crisis due to a shortage of sanitation workers, leading to delays of up to two weeks, raising public health concerns.
The door-to-door waste collection crisis in the state capital has deepened over the past few days, with residents across multiple localities continuing to face irregular garbage collection due to a shortage of sanitation workers. The disruption, triggered by the mass departure of migrant workers ahead of the Assam Legislative Assembly Elections 2026, has now turned into a citywide civic concern.
Hindustan Times highlighted the issue over two days, published on April 4 and 5.
Till date, residents living in several areas under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) continue to report delays ranging from five days to nearly two weeks in waste collection, leading to garbage piling up inside homes and on streets.
Complaints across zones
The issue persists across all eight zones managed by private agencies—five under Lucknow Swachhta Abhiyan (LSA) and three under Lions Enviro. Despite repeated complaints to ward corporators, residents say the problem remains largely unresolved.
Ward corporator Mukesh Singh Chauhan said complaints have increased significantly in his area (Ismailganj I). “Around 6,000 households fall under my ward, but only two vehicles operate for waste collection. Residents have reported that garbage has not been picked up for over five days,” he said.
Corporator Amit Chowdhury from Mahatma Gandhi ward echoed similar concerns. “Residents and shopkeepers are approaching us daily. Waste not being collected on time has become a routine issue,” he said.
Corporator Shailendra Verma (Chinhat II) said the number of complaints has sharply risen. “Earlier, we used to receive three to four complaints a day. Now, the number has increased substantially,” he added.
Mounting garbage
Residents across localities continue to bear the brunt of the disruption. Shahkar Sidhique, a resident of HA Vihar Colony near Pani Gaon, said no collection took place for six days. “After I complained, the team arrived, but several houses in my lane still have pending waste,” he said.
Vishal Yadav from Clay Square said garbage has not been lifted for nearly two weeks. “Waste has accumulated at one spot, creating unhygienic conditions,” he said.
Aditya Dwivedi from Jiamau said sanitation workers resumed collection only after multiple complaints. “No one came for five to six days. The issue was addressed only after we contacted the corporator,” he said.
In Viraj Khand-5, resident Sunil Dutt Tiwari said over 200 households are facing the same issue. “Garbage has not been collected for four days. People are waiting for any response,” he said.
Ground operations hit
LSA regional head Abhay Ranjan said around 600 sanitation workers have taken leave to return to Assam for voting.
“The number of workers deployed for door-to-door collection has reduced to 1,203 across both shifts, while road sweeping staff has dropped to 751 from 1,100,” he said. He added that teams have extended working hours till 9 pm to clear the backlog.
However, the reduced manpower has failed to meet the demand, especially in densely populated wards.
Attempts to contact Lions Enviro’s project head Dileep Yadav remained unsuccessful.
Civic pressure mounts
With garbage accumulating in residential areas, concerns over hygiene and public health risks have started to surface. Residents say the situation could worsen if immediate corrective measures are not taken.
The crisis has also increased pressure on corporators, who now plan to collectively raise the issue in the upcoming LMC House meeting scheduled for April 15.
Corporators across wards have decided to flag the disruption as a major civic issue. They are expected to demand contingency planning, improved workforce management, and accountability from private agencies.
