Ludhiana raises a stink as sanitation workers stay off work

The impact of the ongoing strike by sanitation workers has started to become apparent as garbage piles can be seen on roadsides across the city.

On Wednesday, contractual workers continued their sit-in near the Municipal Corporation’s (MC) Zone A office, pressing for their demands, including regularisation. It gained momentum as more workers joined in.

With the protest entering its third day, waste started accumulating on roadsides, street corners and outside residential lanes, raising concern among residents over the deteriorating hygiene. Along with sweepers, sewer cleaners, drivers and gardeners have extended support to the strike, affecting multiple civic services. As the sanitation workers assembled at the protest site, sweeping and waste collection remained suspended in parts of the city.

The condition was particularly troubling in the old city and busy commercial areas, where garbage bags and waste could be seen lying along roads and market stretches. Residents said foul smell had started emanating from several locations. They said the continued accumulation of waste during the monsoon could increase the risk of health problems if the deadlock continued.

Harsimran Singh, a resident of Model Town Extension, said household waste had not been collected for the past three to four days, leaving residents with little space to store garbage. He said people were being forced to dump waste at vacant spots and roadsides as they had no alternative.

Parminder Mehta, former councillor, hit out at the state government for not resolving the issue despite the growing inconvenience to the public. He said the authorities had failed to address the concerns of sanitation workers even as cleanliness campaigns were being organised regularly across the state. According to him, the situation had resulted in unhygienic conditions in markets and residential areas. He warned that prolonged accumulation of garbage could lead to serious sanitation issues.

The protesting employees announced a one-day bandh on Thursday. Union leaders appealed to traders and owners of commercial establishments to voluntarily keep their shops closed till 4 pm in support of their demands.

However, they clarified that essential services, including ambulances, schools and petrol pumps, would remain operational.

During the protest, union members burnt effigies representing several Scheduled Caste MPs and MLAs, accusing elected representatives of failing to raise the concerns of sanitation workers before the government.

Union leader Yashpal Chaudhary alleged the agitation was against the atrocities on sanitation employees in Barnala and the state government’s failure to initiate dialogue with the unions. He said the organisation had extended support to the statewide bandh call on Thursday, and appealed to the public to cooperate. He maintained the strike will continue until their demands were addressed.

The strike has affected routine maintenance across the city. Sewer cleaning work has slowed considerably and complaints related to blocked sewer lines and overflowing drains are piling up. Most disposal points are functioning with limited manpower, with only Class IV employees managing essential operations.