Sanitation workers in Kalyan, Dombivli resume work after police promise action against miscreants

A day after their colleagues were allegedly manhandled and garbage collecting vehicles were vandalised at Ambivli village in Kalyan, near Mumbai, nearly 3,000 sanitation

A day after their colleagues were allegedly manhandled and garbage collecting vehicles were vandalised at Ambivli village in Kalyan, near Mumbai, nearly 3,000 sanitation workers of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) on Wednesday afternoon called off their protest after the police assured to file a case against miscreants.

Two vehicles which were vandalised on Tuesday. (HT)

On Wednesday morning, workers refused to work as they wanted the police to take cognisance of not just the damage to vehicles but also the brawl between Ambivli residents and sanitation workers.

“Some of our colleagues were roughed up on duty. The police should recognise this too,” said a worker.

How did the violence start? 

As part of his action against property tax defaulters, KDMC chief E Ravendiran had instructed civic officials to dump trash on the premises of NRC Ltd which owes Rs55 crore in property tax for the last 12 years. The KDMC attached the company building in February 2016.

On Tuesday when KDMC workers visited the building in Ambivli village to unload garbage, locals, thinking that the civic body had chosen the site as dumping ground, allegedly manhandled them and vandalised two of the 12 vehicles.

This incident culminated into an agitation by the staff. "We were performing our duty and we were attacked. This has raised concerns over our safety. We won't tolerate such incidents," another worker said.