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Speak up Delhi: Sanitation workers enter 12th day of strike – Residents face the heat

East Delhi Safai Karamchari Union has announced an indefinite strike until their dues are paid

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Mounds of garbage dump on the roadside have become a common sight —For representation
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The residents of the eastern part of national Capital find it difficult to even cross the roads while the two level of government plays a blame game. With the sanitation workers observing an indefinite strike which has already entered its 12th day, the residents in the area under East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) are forced to bear the stinking surroundings.

Demanding full payment of arrear salaries, the East Delhi Safai Karamchari Union has announced an indefinite strike until their dues are paid. "We are forced to go on indefinite strike as the government and the corporation have been holding our salaries for months. Most of us are dealing debts because they do not pay our salaries," said the leader of agitating workers Sanjay Gahlot.

However, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has blamed the Delhi government for not providing adequate funds to the Corporation which has resulted in salaries being stopped. The three corporations combined require around Rs 7,000 crore to pay salaries and pension, however, all three corporations are still waiting about Rs 9000 crores from the Delhi government.

The unpaid salaries have now become a problem for all municipal corporation. According to Gahlot, about 60 thousand sanitation workers are observing strike and have left cleaning jobs in Delhi until they get their salaries paid along with regularisation of those working on a temporary basis.

"East Delhi Municipal Corporation is facing an acute shortage of funds and thanks to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's politics, the state government has stopped the flow of funds. The sole motive behind this is to ensure that BJP-ruled corporations fail to work," said EDMC mayor Bipin Bihari.

Laxmi Nagar being the area with arguably one of the biggest student community has been the most affected by the strike. The students now fear that they might catch diseases, leaving their careers hanging. 

While there are students who have been dealing with the unclean surroundings, people with jobs are disturbed as well. "Every morning you wish to have an eye-catching view, but for over 5-6 days all see is the piled up garbage on roads. All I can hope is that EDMC would soon come with a plan to get it all sorted," said Akshay who works with a caller centre.

However, the EDMC mayor claimed that he has now ordered to prepare a list of temporary workers and start the process of regularisation as soon as possible.

THE BLAME GAME

  • The East Delhi Municipal Corporation has blamed the Delhi government for not providing adequate funds to the Corporation which has resulted in salaries being stopped.

VOICES

Although I am a resident of Noida, when I visited East Delhi's Preet Vihar area I was shocked to see the unhygienic surroundings. What is the elected government doing when they cannot even keep the area clean? I hope all the parties involved in this case resolve their differences fast.
Jatin Arora

Some of my college friends reside in Laxmi Nagar and most of them have been complaining about the dirty surroundings. Many have even gone back to their hometown just because of the unhygienic surroundings.
Anukriti Sachdeva

Most of the times we don't understand the value of sanitation workers. We need to feel their pain only then the problem can be uprooted. If the authorities cannot even pay them for their work then how can you expect a clean city?
Himanshu Miglani

When a student comes to big cities like Delhi he/she expects a cleaner and smarter city. However, the struggle between authorities and sanitation workers has resulted in a demographic which is far away from the standards of a clean and smart city.
Isha Agarwal

If you go and visit Laxmi Nagar, only then you would realise that the authorities need to take charge immediately. Every footpath you move, plastic wrapper, waste food and garbage spread like that of concrete tiles.
Karan Gera

People have been playing blame games on the issue, however, no one wonders as to what state the people of East Delhi are living their lives. Moreover, there are no strict steps taken to make sure that these kinds of strikes do not affect day to day work. 
Aman Sharma

EXPERT SPEAK

Anyone who wants to solve the issue, they must understand that the problem has been peeping up for a long time. Our society does not even bother to separate the biodegradable waste from the non-biodegradable. The government has to act quickly on the issue as these pile of garbages are already a home to various insects. Moreover, we must understand as to why the problem of salary arrears stands up with class four employees mostly. 
Chhavi Methi, Environmentalist

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