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Sanitation employees continue strike as piles of trash plague Shimla
Talks fail: Queen of Hills in the dumps as MC’s negotiation with protesters fail.
The garbage disposal system in Shimla remained at a standstill for the fourth consecutive day as employees of the Shimla Environment, Heritage Conservation and Beautification (SEHB) society continued their protest on Friday. Protesters are demanding regularisation of jobs and raise in income besides long term policy for their welfare.
Municipal corporation on Friday organised talks with the protesting employees but the initiative failed union leaders refused to buzz to the negotiations.
“We constantly tried to ease out the situation. Union leaders were called for negotiations several times but they did not turn up. We tried to convince them to go back to work, hopefully they will respond positively,” said municipal corporation (MC) commissioner Rohit Jamwal.
Meanwhile, SEHB president Jaswant Singh said,“We will not return back to work unless our demands are met.” SEHB members said government should at least give them 10% increase in the salary along with a policy for their welfare.
MC had revised the garbage collection rates after its house meeting on Thursday.
There are 824 employees working under the SEHB society, of which 474 collect garbage from the houses.
The town generates about 75 to 85 metric ton of waste everyday, which is treated at waste to energy plant on outskirt of town in Bharial village. However, since the strike by collectors, the waste to energy plant has been getting only 40 - 45 metric ton of garbage from town and its outskirts.
Impact of the strike
Ongoing strike has adversely impacted the garbage disposal as it has resulted in the piles of trash plaguing roadside and footpaths connecting different localities of the town.
The problem is more acute in the localities which lack road connectivity. “Trash mounds are increasing the streets. Residents have no other option but to dump the garbage wherever they can” a resident of cemetery in Sanjauli area said.
Municipal corporation had set-up garbage collection points in several areas where trash was being lifted by its sanitation workers. Majority of the points have been set-up in the areas which have business establishments. But the bins have been placed on main roads or at vantage points, hence people have to walk up to them. As a result, people dump the trash in nullahs or forest areas around the localities.
The strike has also affected eatery shops and hotels across the town. “Strike has made things difficult for the hoteliers. For the past four days, we are collecting the garbage in plastic bags and are only waiting for garbage collectors to call off the stir,” said Harman Kukreja, Shimla Hotels and Restaurateurs Association president. The stir is bound to have negative affect on tourists,” he said.
Genesis of the problem
Shimla municipal corporation (MC) was formed in 2009 to make the town litter-free. MC sanitation workers were hired for door-to-door garbage collection. In 2010, it formed committees at ward-level to collect solid waste. Majority of the SEHB workers earned Rs 6,700 to Rs 7,700 per month by charging Rs 70 per month from each household under their respective areas. The rates for different establishments varied up to Rs 2,500 per month.
These rates were approved in the annual general meeting of the society in 2014. However, in 2015, it was decided in the meeting to enhance these rates but it never got implemented. The society can be deemed defunct since annual general meeting did not take place in 2016. From door-to-door collection, SEHB society earned around Rs 29-30 lakh per month, while the salary bill was around Rs 40 lakh.
