Ropar residents drowning in filth as municipal workers’ strike sparks political slugfest

The ongoing strike of municipal council (MC) contract and outsourced workers in Ropar district has escalated into a political battle between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and opposition parties, leaving residents to suffer amid mounting garbage heaps. For the past seven days, sanitation workers and other outsourced employees of municipal councils in Ropar, Nangal, and Anandpur Sahib have been on strike. Their core grievance is the state government’s alleged move to centralise sanitation and water supply services through a single statewide contract, which workers fear will end their jobs and benefits.

The standoff has brought civic life in the towns of the district to a standstill. Uncollected waste now lies scattered in residential areas, markets, and near public places, raising concerns about health hazards and unhygienic conditions.

Education and Public Relations Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who represents the Anandpur Sahib constituency, insisted that no worker was being removed. “I have been inviting striking employees for a dialogue and even offered to visit their dharna site. But they are not coming to the table. It appears their strike is politically motivated,” he said.

Bains accused opposition parties of exploiting the issue instead of helping residents. “It is unfortunate that opposition leaders are making townspeople suffer just to score political points. No contract or outsourced worker is losing their job; this is misinformation. While AAP volunteers have engaged temporary labourers to clear garbage, they cannot replace the regular machinery of the MCs,” he added.

Opposition leaders, however, rejected the minister’s claims and openly backed the striking workers. Former Punjab Assembly Speaker KP Rana, BJP state vice-president Subhash Sharma, and BJP district president Ajay Vir Singh Lalpura all visited the dharna sites, blaming the AAP government for failing to resolve the long-pending issues of contract employees. Congress councillors, meanwhile, have been organising langars for the striking workers, underlining their solidarity with the movement. “The government is ignoring the genuine demands of employees, and instead of resolving the crisis, it is trying to label it as politically engineered,” said one Congress leader at the site.

As political parties trade accusations, the brunt is borne by residents. With sanitation services crippled, urban areas of the district are reeling under unhygienic conditions. Locals complain of foul smells, mosquito breeding, and the looming threat of disease. “The politicians are fighting among themselves, but it is we who are suffering,” said a shopkeeper in Nangal.

The strike, now into its second week, shows no signs of ending soon, with both sides hardening their positions. Unless a breakthrough is reached, residents of Ropar, Nangal, and Anandpur Sahib may continue to struggle in worsening civic conditions.