Delhi: Sanitation workers continue strike, residents face the heat

One of the biggest dreams of Mahatma Gandhi was to make India clean and a green country. Even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is usually seen getting involved in the cleanliness programs, but the eastern part of the national Capital was nowhere close to what we can expect to be called a clean city.

With the strike by the sanitation workers entering the 20th day, the eastern part of the Capital has got piles of garbage and even bigger diseases and problem to deal with. The adamant behaviour of sanitation workers along with the inability of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to pay their dues has made the situation worse.

While the areas like Laxmi Nagar have been most affected by the situation, other areas like Ghazipur and Preet Vihar are also seeing heaps of garbage on both sides of the road increasing every day.

"Initially I thought that the problem would last for just a few days, but now after 20 days I feel that the authorities must step forward or else the area would soon turn into a dump yard," said Prateek, a resident of Karkardooma.

The families living in this area have also been facing garbage dumping problems as the workers who used to collect the garbage from homes have stopped coming for work. Making situation worst is the pile of garbage lying in front of their doors, which has been increasing every day.

The EDMC, however, has been still waiting for funds from the state government to pay of the arrears of sanitation workers who are currently on an indefinite strike demanding payments and regularisation of temporary employees.