Patna, Aug 5: Garbage continued to accumulate across several parts of Patna as the strike by sanitation workers of the Patna Municipal Corporation entered its fifth day, affecting waste collection services and causing concern among residents over unhygienic conditions.
While the municipal corporation said it had launched a special sanitation drive to manage the situation, striking workers alleged that the large piles of uncollected waste in many localities showed a significant gap between official claims and conditions on the ground.
The protest is being held under the banner of the Patna Municipal Corporation Joint Employees’ Coordination Committee. Sanitation workers continued their demonstration outside the municipal headquarters at Maurya Lok and called for a respectful dialogue to resolve their demands.
The workers said the agitation would continue until their concerns were addressed. The prolonged strike has disrupted regular waste collection services, leaving residents in several neighbourhoods facing foul odour and growing concerns about sanitation and public health.
The Patna Municipal Corporation said that despite limited resources, it was making efforts to maintain cleanliness through a special drive. According to the civic body, around 300 tonnes of garbage were collected on Monday with the support of nearly 100 door-to-door waste collection vehicles.
The corporation said additional vehicles had been deployed in the Nutan Rajdhani, Azimabad, Patna City, Patliputra and Bankipur areas. Special cleaning arrangements were also made at the A.N. College campus in view of the vote-counting process.
Cleaning operations were reportedly carried out at major waste collection points on Exhibition Road, Goria Toli and Jamal Road with the use of JCB machines and tractors.
Meanwhile, the municipal corporation intensified action against private sanitation agencies, alleging that some contractors had failed to provide the required number of workers and vehicles under their agreements.Show-cause notices were issued to three agencies on August 1 and 2, while additional financial penalties exceeding ₹21.95 crore were imposed for the alleged failure to meet contractual standards.
The striking workers, however, maintained that temporary cleaning drives were insufficient to restore normal sanitation services. They said that waste remained piled up in several parts of the city and urged the authorities to hold meaningful talks.The protest has also received support from labour organisations.
The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) announced plans to organise demonstrations at district headquarters across Bihar in support of municipal sanitation workers.With the dispute between the civic body and the workers continuing, restoring normal waste collection services remains a major challenge.
The prolonged disruption is affecting residents across the capital, while pressure is growing on the authorities to reach an agreement and end the strike.
