Corporations clear garbage mess amid protests

Despite court’s order to clean roads of garbage, sanitation workers’ unions did not resume work on Thursday, worsening conditions in areas under South, North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations.

Meanwhile, the Corporations claimed to have cleared nearly 3,500 metric tonne garbage from Wednesday evening. They also suspended over two dozen MCD drivers and disengaged six others for not cooperating with the MCDs.

Scores of sanitation workers led by Rajender Mewati, general secretary of United Front of MCD Employees, blocked Vikas Marg in Laxminagar and dumped garbage on the roads. They also raised demands of regular payment of salaries, arrears, regularisation of contractual workers and cash-less health cards. Arterial roads, streets and pavements in the city remained littered with garbage on the seventh day of the strike.

“Sanitation workers will continue their strike till all their demands are met with by the authorities in MCD and Delhi government,” Mewati said, adding, “We will further intensify the strike spreading it to two other Municipal Corporations in the coming days.”

Mayor of East Delhi, Harsh Malhotra, said that the EDMC is making all out efforts to lift garbage from dhalaos or piled anywhere on the roads. The Corporation got lifted 1,240 tonne garbage, 195 tonne of malba, 470 tonne of silt on Wednesday night with the help of 54 private trucks. On Thursday, till 5 pm, 550 tonne of garbage was removed by making 127 trips of trucks. 10 trucks have been provided by the North DMC. He further said that auto tippers are plying to collect garbage. 

Additional resources are also being arranged to lift the backlog of garbage. About 60 drivers from the DTC have also been called as standby to keep the trucks moving although all the East MCD truck drivers have resumed their duties. Besides, private truck companies have been kept in the loop for any exigency.

However, meetings are being convened with unions for calling off the strike.