Bhopal, Nov 6 (IANS) The state capital of Madhya Pradesh is facing a sanitation crisis on Dhanteras, the beginning of Diwali festivities, as around 15,000 Municipal Corporation employees remain on an indefinite strike, leaving garbage piled up on roads, markets and residential colonies.
Garbage collection has been disrupted for the second consecutive day on Friday, with overflowing dustbins and waste scattered across several parts of the state capital. The situation has caused inconvenience to residents who had cleaned their houses ahead of Diwali but are unable to dispose of household waste. Residents in several colonies said they had been waiting for municipal garbage collection vehicles for nearly a week.
With no vehicles arriving, waste has accumulated outside houses and on roads. In some localities, residents have reportedly started burning the garbage to clear their surroundings.
Bhopal generates around 850 tonnes of garbage daily, with the volume increasing to nearly 1,000 tonnes during Diwali. However, the Municipal Corporation has not been able to maintain regular waste collection amid the strike.
The agitation, which initially began with sanitation workers, has spread to employees of several other departments, including water supply, fire services, computer operations, electricity, building permissions, gardens and encroachment removal.
Around 15,000 of the corporation’s nearly 18,000 employees have joined the strike. They include approximately 14,000 daily-wage workers and 1,000 outsourced employees working across 21 zones and 85 wards.
On Thursday, protesting employees disconnected the electricity supply to the Municipal Corporation headquarters, Atal Bhavan, and locked its main gate. They have also threatened to completely shut down the corporation’s operations.
The biggest concern is the possible disruption of the drinking water supply. Employees of the Water Works Department have threatened to stop the supply from Friday. Bhopal has more than 2.30 lakh tap connections, raising concerns over difficulties for residents during the festival.
The employees are demanding a minimum monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000, salary revision, regularisation of services, government employee status, abolition of the contractual system and compassionate appointments.
Municipal Corporation Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi appealed to the workers to suspend their strike during the festive season.
“Everyone across the country respects Swachhata Mitras. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself washed their feet. A proper decision on their demands will also be taken after deliberation,” he said.
Municipal Commissioner Ram Prakash Ahirwar said discussions between the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Administration Department and union representatives had been meaningful. However, the union leaders have refused to call off the strike without a concrete decision and want to speak directly with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The strike has also affected sanitation services in other urban local bodies across Madhya Pradesh.
–IANS
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