Sanitation goes for a toss in Mohali

Gaurav Kanthwal

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Mohali, April 14

It has been five days that streets, markets and roads in Mohali have not been swept due to the ongoing strike of the sanitation staff of the Mohali Municipal Corporation. The door-to-door garbage collection has also been erratic in some sectors.

Safai sewaks have warned that the door-to-door garbage collection will be stopped completely from Monday onwards. The Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation members continued to strike work for the fifth day, even though no protest demonstration was held today.

“Hundreds of safai sewaks will stage a demonstration in front of the MC office tomorrow in support of their long-pending demands,” said Pawan Goindwal, general secretary of the federation.

With cleaning and garbage lifting work crippled, heaps of garbage have come up near market and residential areas. Garbage collection points are strewn with waste.

Protesting workers claimed that their strike would continue till their demands, including hike in salary and reinstatement of 200 outsourced employees, were met. Despite assurances by the Mayor and the MC Commissioner in the past nothing had been done till now, they complained.

Their meeting with the Mohali ADC on April 12 remained inconclusive after they staged a protest demonstration outside the District Administrative Complex with garbage carts in tow.

Deputy Mayor Kuljit Bedi, councillor of ward number 17, said, “The door-to-door garbage collection is erratic in my ward.” Ward number 30 residents said garbage was picked from their area two days ago.