Clean city a Diwali gift for Delhiites

The sanitation workers of east, south and north have decided to slow their ongoing strike as a diwali gift to the residents of the national capital. After a meeting with the corporation officials on Wednesday, the workers have decided to join back on the day after diwali.

"We had a meeting with officials of MCD where we decided to slow down on the strike. After diwali, entire national capital is a mess and if we will not work, who will clear the garbage?," said Sanjay Gahlot, president of MCD Swachhta Karamchari Yojana

The sanitation workers who are given 'gifts' in form of cash by the residents of Delhi after diwali are in o mood to let go these extra incentives. "We are already not getting the salaries. The festivals like diwali and holi are some of the days when we get extra cash benefits. We do not want to miss that all," said one of the sanitaton workers.

Every resident in Delhi gives atleast Rs 50-100 to a sanitaton worker as a diwali gift.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) workers started an indefinite strike on October 11, over the irregular payments of salaries and other pending demands. The strike was joined by the workers of South and North DMC on Monday.

Several areas in east Delhi, including Patparganj and Laxmi Nagar are already in a mess due to the strike with roads piled up with the garbage. The impact of the strike in other municipalities was visible in Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, Narela, Rohini and City zone in the north and in Najafgarh and west zones in the south.

The sanitation workers also threatened to lock down the headquarters of South and North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday. In east Delhi, the sanitation workers held a protest outside the office of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and burnt his effigy.

Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court pulled up the Delhi government saying, "There must be somebody with whom you are not at war." The court also directed the striking sanitation employees not to obstruct cleaning of garbage as they caused serious diseases like dengue.

The bench was hearing a plea seeking direction to the authorities to ensure that the workers of East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations call off their strike, which started on October 11 and October 16 respectively and resume work.

BIGGER PROBLEMS OF A BIG CITY

• East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) workers started an indefinite strike on October 11, over the irregular payments of salaries and other pending demands.

• The sanitation workers, who were extremely agitated, threatened to lock down the headquarters of South, North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday.