Raipur: The sanitation workers of Raipur began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, protesting against not getting their payments for the past four months, thus disrupting the city’s sanitation services. The action has paralysed the cleaning services in 70 city wards, with fears over the amount of waste accumulating and the level of public hygiene.
The total monthly payment for the sanitation works in the entire municipal area is to the tune of nearly ₹4 crore, according to the contractors. But they say they have been demanding payments on the issue and have been assured by the municipal authorities to be paid for the past four months, without any response. The contractors say they are on the hook to pay sanitation workers and cover operating costs, and predict the extended waiting period would be economically unsustainable.
The representatives of the contractors said they had sent a formal memorandum to the Municipal Corporation administration last week, asking for the immediate clearance of outstanding dues. Likewise, similar representations have been made with opposition leaders in the civic body, but there is no report of any action having taken place.
The contractors have warned that they will not return to work until the unpaid amounts are paid out. The strike follows sanitation workers hired by a private waste-management firm who also went out on strike in protest of other demands, adding to the problems faced by the city’s waste management system.
The garbage collection and street cleaning operations are now severely affected, prompting the residents to worry about the possibility of increasing waste levels, health issues, and inconvenience in Raipur if the disruption persists. The municipal authority is anticipated to meet with the contractors and try to settle the disagreement, and re-establish normal sanitation services as soon as possible.