MC sanitation staff call off strike

Sanitation staff of the Patiala Municipal Corporation called off their nine-day long strike today. The city was grappling with a garbage crisis as the strike had brought the waste collection system to a standstill. Parminder Singh Goldy, an MC employees union leader, said it was decided to end the protest after authorities agreed to some of their demands and to hold talks resolve issues.

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The onset of the monsoon has further compounded the garbage problem, resulting in waterlogging at several locations and spreading stench across the city. The striking sanitation workers have been demanding immediate release of their pending EPF dues and regularisation of long-serving contractual staff.

The city daily produces 120-140 tonnes of solid waste. While the Patiala MC has a material recovery facility to process segregated waste, nearly 90 per cent of the waste is dumped at an open landfill, which is overflowing due to non-clearance.