Stench of strike fails to wake up govt

City streets turn huge dumpyards with uncleared garbage piling up as the agitation by sanitary workers entered the seventh day

Hyderabad: The much-hyped image of ‘clean and green’ city has gone for a toss with heaps of garbage spreading on to the roads in Greater Hyderabad and nauseating stench forcing pedestrians and passersby to cover their noses tightly as the indefinite strike by the municipal sanitary workers entered the seventh day on Sunday.

The overflowing garbage bins in residential colonies and on the streets spread the stink in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, making life tough for residents and visitors alike. With another round of talks between the Telangana government and striking employees on Saturday night failing to end the deadlock, there was no respite to citizens who were exposed to huge health hazards as loads of waste materials lay unattended across the length and breadth of the city.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has begun utilising services of private labourers for sanitary operations. However, after the talks failed, the workers decided to intensify their agitation from Sunday, stating that the strike would continue until their demands were met. Meanwhile, Jubilee Hills TDP MLA Maganti Gopinath said it was the responsibility of the TRS government to ensure that there was no problem to the Muslim population in view of strike as it was the holy month of Ramzan.

“The government should make Hyderabad as a garbage-free city in view of Ramzan during Ifthar parties and prayers. Once KCR had said sanitation workers were his gods, but he was unable to resolve their problems now,” he alleged. The government should take immediate steps to resolve the problems and clear huge garbage dumped on roads, Gopinath said.

The continuing strike has not only dented the image of ‘Swacch Hyderabad’ - which the State government has been trying hard to project - but is causing severe inconvenience to people. With the shopping for Ramzan Eid at its peak, mounting garbage on roads has badly hit the festivities in old city, Nampally, Mallepally, Asif Nagar, Mehdipatnam, Toli Chowki and other Muslim-majority areas.

Mounds of garbage could be seen on roads around the historic Charminar, making it unbearable for people to walk. Plastic, paper and disposables were strewn on the busy roads. Hyderabad, on an average, generates 4,000 tonnes of garbage daily. The garbage generation goes up steeply during Ramazan due to increased commercial activity.

The State Minorities Commission has issued notices to the department of municipal administration and urban development and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to intervene or make alternate arrangements to clear the garbage. As many as 28,000 employees of GHMC are on strike, demanding increase in wages and better facilities.

Though GHMC has hired 4,000 private labourers and also deployed 830 out of 1,050 sanitary vehicles, this has not helped to improve the conditions. The sanitary employees, both contract and permanent, are demanding an increase in the minimum wages and facilities like health cards, provident fund and houses.