Jalandhar is facing a growing garbage problem as sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation continue their strike for the fifth day and with regular garbage collection affected, waste has started piling up on roadsides, outside residential areas and at several busy markets and intersections across the city.
The issue is not about one particular locality and several parts of Jalandhar are facing overflowing garbage bins, piles of waste and foul smells, while accumulated garbage has also begun affecting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
Jalandhar generates around 500 metric tonnes of garbage every day, normally, sanitation workers collect this waste from households, commercial areas and roads and transport it for further processing or disposal, however, garbage collection has been disrupted because of the ongoing strike by Municipal Corporation employees.
As a result, nearly 2,500 metric tonnes of garbage has reportedly accumulated across the city, household dustbins are overflowing in several areas, while waste collected from homes and markets is being left on the streets because regular collection has been affected.
The problem became particularly visible on Sunday, when garbage piles were seen occupying parts of roads and affecting traffic movement.
The impact has been reported from several parts of the city, including Vikaspuri dump, Pratap Bagh Road, Plaza Chowk, Urban Estate, Tanda stretch and areas around Nakodar Road and at some locations, accumulated garbage has occupied one side or part of the road, making it difficult for vehicles to pass normally.
In the Tanda stretch, the accumulated waste affected traffic movement, while pedestrians also faced difficulty crossing the affected area, meanwhile a similar problems were reported around Pratap Bagh and Plaza Chowk, where garbage piles and the resulting foul smell caused inconvenience to people living nearby and those travelling through the areas.
The situation is also affecting residential neighbourhoods because household waste is not being collected regularly.
The ongoing strike is linked mainly to the Municipal Corporation’s proposed ₹607-crore integrated solid waste management project linked to Maharashtra and the Municipal Corporation has approved the project as part of its plans for managing the city’s garbage, however, sanitation worker unions are opposing the proposal.
One of their major concerns is that waste management operations could be handed over to a private company and the unions have expressed apprehension that this could affect the jobs of existing sanitation workers. The workers are therefore demanding safeguards for their employment and opposing the proposed system in its current form.
The sanitation workers’ demands are not limited to the waste management project.
The unions are also seeking recruitment to 1,196 posts on a permanent basis. Their demands also include issues related to regularisation, pensions and Dearness Allowance (DA) and these demands have become part of the wider dispute between the Municipal Corporation and the employee unions.
The biggest reason is the amount of waste generated every day.
Jalandhar produces around 500 metric tonnes of garbage daily and when collection stops for several days, the waste does not simply remain at the normal collection points. It continues to accumulate as households, shops, markets and other establishments generate fresh waste every day.
With the strike continuing for five days, the backlog has reportedly reached around 2,500 metric tonnes and this explains why garbage piles have become visible at multiple locations rather than being restricted to one or two dumping points.
The longer collection remains disrupted, the larger the backlog can become.
For residents, the immediate concern is the garbage lying outside their homes and on public roads.
Accumulated waste creates foul smells and makes walking through affected areas difficult and when garbage piles occupy part of a road, they can also reduce the space available for vehicles and contribute to traffic inconvenience.
For shops and businesses located near affected stretches, piles of waste can also make the surroundings unpleasant for customers and workers. The problem is therefore not limited to sanitation workers or the Municipal Corporation. It is directly affecting residents, commuters, shopkeepers and other people using the city’s roads.
The immediate solution depends on whether the Municipal Corporation and sanitation worker unions are able to reach an agreement.
The workers want their concerns over the new waste management project, employment security and other service-related demands to be addressed and the Municipal Corporation, meanwhile, is holding discussions with the unions and has said employees will not be disadvantaged by the proposed project.
Until regular garbage collection resumes, however, waste will continue to accumulate because the city generates around 500 metric tonnes of garbage every day.