Jalandhar’s sanitation workers have called off their five-day strike following discussions with Mayor Vaneet Dhir and Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rishi.
Garbage lifting in the city will resume from today, bringing relief to residents as waste has piled up across several areas during the strike, meanwhile, the proposed ₹600-crore-plus integrated solid waste management project, which was at the centre of the workers’ opposition, has now been put on hold.
The development comes after days of protests and talks between the Municipal Corporation and employee unions over the project and workers’ concerns and with the strike now over, garbage lifting is expected to restart across Jalandhar from today.
The impact of the strike had 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 strike was linked mainly to the Municipal Corporation’s proposed ₹607-crore integrated solid waste management project linked to Maharashtra and the Municipal Corporation had approved the project as part of its plans for managing the city’s garbage, however, sanitation worker unions were opposing the proposal.
One of their major concerns was 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 were therefore demanding safeguards for their employment and opposing the proposed system in its current form.
