Garbage crisis worsens after Diwali; city chokes under piles of waste

The city’s garbage collection system, already in a fragile state, has completely collapsed after the Diwali festival and four consecutive holidays. Heaps of waste now lie scattered across streets, vacant plots and road corners, leaving residents furious over the worsening civic mess.

Municipal corporation officials and sanitation staff appear to have failed in managing garbage collection following the withdrawal of the solid waste management firm. Except for a few posh colonies and commercial areas, garbage continues to pile up across most parts of the city.

After the private company pulled out of operations in August, the municipal corporation has been struggling to manage waste collection on its own using outdated vehicles and the company’s former workers. These workers have reportedly been charging Rs 100 per month from each household for door-to-door collection. However, in several low-income localities, residents have refused to pay the fee, resulting in garbage not being lifted at all. Vacant plots and temporary collection sites have turned into mini dumping grounds, with waste lying unattended for days.

Political leaders and councillors have claimed they are getting garbage cleared independently, but the ground reality tells a different story. Remnants of burnt crackers, gift wrappings and other festive waste remain scattered across the city. Continuous holidays from Saturday to Wednesday further aggravated the problem as most sanitation workers failed to report for duty.

Nirmala Devi, a resident of Indira Colony, said garbage collection in her area had been irregular since Dasehra. “The vehicle came after 15 days because workers were busy collecting Diwali gifts. Our locality now looks like a garbage dump,” she said.

With garbage spilling over from bins and streets reeking of filth, residents say the city’s “festival of lights” has turned into a “festival of litter”.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia acknowledged that waste accumulation had risen due to consecutive holidays. “The situation will be normalised within the next couple of days. The new solid waste management company will commence full operations by December 30, after which the garbage problem will be permanently resolved,” he assured, urging residents to cooperate with the civic body until then.