Garbage crisis worsens: Teachers on indefinite strike, join MCD protest

In solidarity with protesting MCD employees, MCD school teachers to go on indefinite strike beginning Monday

The agitation by municipal workers in the national capital seems to be snowballing into a crisis for the capital with MCD school teachers deciding to go on indefinite strike from Monday.

Water & Tourism Minister of Delhi, Kapil Mishra led garbage cleaning drives in his respective constituency near Khajuri, in Delhi, India on Sunday. (Hindustan Times)

The showdown between AAP Government and the BJP-led municipal corporations over funding of salaries escalated further as city-wide protests marked the fifth day of a civic workers’ strike, leaving roads strewn with garbage and several hospitals locked.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Sunday held an emergency meeting with senior officials from East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations to take stock of the situation and discuss solutions.

The civic doctors had said that they have been on indefinite strike in solidarity with sanitation workers since yesterday. Around 7,000 doctors and 12,000 nurses are said to have joined the strike.

More than 130,000 employees have been on strike since Wednesday, bringing municipal schools and hospitals to a standstill apart from leading to a breakdown of the state sanitation machinery.

Nearly 1.2 million students enrolled in 1,860 municipal schools were either sent back home or refused to be taught by their teachers. Massive traffic jams were seen in many parts of the city on Saturday as the protesting workers marched on roads joined by local political leaders sympathetic to their demands, with east Delhi the worst affected.