Garbage piles up in Bhopal as 15,000 civic workers continue strike

• Nearly 15,000 Bhopal Municipal Corporation employees are on an indefinite strike, leaving garbage piled up across the city ahead of Diwali

• The strike has disrupted sanitation services and raised fears of drinking water shortages, with workers threatening to halt supply

• Employees are demanding a minimum monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000, salary revisions and regularisation of services

Bhopal is grappling with a growing sanitation crisis on Dhanteras, marking the beginning of Diwali festivities, as nearly 15,000 Municipal Corporation employees continue their indefinite strike, disrupting garbage collection and leaving waste piled up across roads, markets and residential neighbourhoods.

Garbage collection services remained disrupted for the second consecutive day on Friday, with overflowing dustbins and heaps of waste reported from several parts of the Madhya Pradesh capital. The situation has caused considerable inconvenience to residents who had cleaned their homes ahead of Diwali but are struggling to dispose of household garbage.

Residents of several colonies said they had been waiting for municipal garbage collection vehicles for nearly a week. With the vehicles failing to arrive, waste has accumulated outside homes and along roadsides. In some localities, residents have reportedly resorted to burning garbage to clear their surroundings.

Bhopal generates approximately 850 tonnes of waste every day, with the volume rising to nearly 1,000 tonnes during Diwali. However, the ongoing strike has severely affected the Municipal Corporation's ability to maintain regular waste collection.

What initially began as an agitation by sanitation workers has now expanded to employees from several other departments, including water supply, fire services, computer operations, electricity, building permissions, gardens and encroachment removal.

Around 15,000 of the Municipal Corporation's nearly 18,000 employees have joined the indefinite strike. The protesting workforce includes approximately 14,000 daily-wage workers and 1,000 outsourced employees deployed across 21 zones and 85 wards.

The agitation intensified on Thursday when protesters disconnected the electricity supply to the Municipal Corporation headquarters, Atal Bhavan, and locked its main gate. The employees have also threatened to completely shut down the corporation's operations if their demands remain unaddressed.

Apart from the mounting garbage problem, the potential disruption of drinking water supplies has emerged as a major concern for residents.

Employees of the Water Works Department have threatened to suspend water supply from Friday. With more than 2.30 lakh tap connections in Bhopal, any disruption could significantly affect households, particularly during the ongoing festive season.

The strike has raised concerns about the functioning of essential civic services at a time when residents are preparing for Diwali.

The protesting employees are demanding a minimum monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000, salary revision, regularisation of services and recognition as government employees.

Their other demands include the abolition of the contractual employment system and the provision of compassionate appointments.

Municipal Corporation chairman Kishan Suryavanshi has appealed to the employees to suspend their agitation during the festive season.

“Everyone across the country respects Swachhata Mitras. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself washed their feet. A proper decision on their demands will also be taken after deliberation,” he said.

Municipal Commissioner Ram Prakash Ahirwar said discussions between the additional chief secretary of the Urban Administration Department and representatives of the employees' unions had been meaningful.

However, union leaders have refused to withdraw the strike without a concrete assurance on their demands. They have also insisted on holding direct discussions with chief minister Mohan Yadav.

Meanwhile, the agitation has extended beyond Bhopal, affecting sanitation services in several other urban local bodies across Madhya Pradesh.

With Diwali celebrations underway, the prolonged strike has put essential civic services under pressure, leaving residents concerned about mounting garbage, possible water shortages and the deteriorating sanitation situation across the state capital.

With IANS inputs