Patna, Aug. 1: The statewide strike by sanitation workers and municipal drivers in Bihar entered its third day on Saturday, severely disrupting waste collection across several urban centres, with heaps of garbage accumulating on roads and in residential areas, prompting civic authorities to launch emergency cleanup operations under police protection.
Thousands of sanitation workers have stayed away from work, affecting garbage collection in Patna, Darbhanga, Bihar Sharif, Supaul and several other towns. The prolonged disruption has raised concerns over public health, with experts warning that continued accumulation of waste could increase the risk of infections and disease outbreaks.
In Patna, more than 5,000 sanitation workers are participating in the strike. The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated alternative arrangements for garbage collection but alleged that striking workers were obstructing employees engaged in the cleanup drive.
Municipal Commissioner Yashpal Meena has directed officials to lodge FIRs against those found obstructing sanitation work. The corporation has also deployed police personnel to facilitate garbage collection and launched a special night-time cleaning campaign between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. to avoid protests.
The PMC has made biometric as well as manual attendance mandatory for all permanent, daily wage and outsourced sanitation workers and warned of disciplinary action against employees remaining absent without authorisation. It has also directed the deployment of an additional 15 to 20 sanitation workers in every ward to maintain essential cleaning services.
Appealing to the striking workers to return to duty, Meena said, “All the union’s demands related to the corporation’s jurisdiction have already been met. The remaining demands have been forwarded to the government.”
He further urged employees to end the agitation, saying, “The striking employees should return to work in the public interest.”
The strike has also crippled sanitation services in other districts. Around 1,500 sanitation workers in Darbhanga remain on strike, halting the collection of nearly 10 tonnes of garbage daily. In Bihar Sharif of Nalanda district, nearly 1,300 sanitation workers are protesting, leaving an estimated 250 tonnes of garbage uncollected each day. Similar conditions have been reported from Supaul, where residents complained of mounting garbage due to the absence of effective alternative arrangements.
The protesting workers have reiterated their three-point charter of demands, with “equal pay for equal work” remaining a key demand.
With the deadlock continuing, civic authorities are attempting to restore sanitation services while maintaining law and order, even as the strike continues to affect the daily lives of residents across Bihar.
