Garbage has piled up across the city as some sections of sanitary workers, including drivers, loaders and underground drainage (UGD) workers, have joined the State-wide strike of outsourced and contract workers since the past three days. They are seeking direct recruitment and direct payment of salary by urban local bodies.
Door-to-door collection of solid waste has completely stopped with wet waste and dry waste getting accumulated in apartments and other individual houses and establishments.
Channabasappa, Commissioner, Mangaluru City Corporation, told The Hindu that the civic body has pressed into service 30 vehicles for lifting and transporting garbage dumped in open places, at roadside and in market areas. No arrangements have been made to collect waste from the houses of people.
Leader of the Opposition Congress in the corporation council Naveen R. D’Souza said that manholes of UGD lines are overflowing in some areas with no one attending. The overflowing sewage has created problems for walkers. It might also affect the health of people.
Mr. D’Souza said that many hotels and lodges are dumping the waste in open spaces. Wet waste is rotting in houses and apartments. “Stench is emanating in the smart city for not lifting the waste,” he said, adding that the ruling BJP in the corporation has failed to address the issue.
He said that the two MLAs of the city and the district in-charge Minister should address the problem on top priority.
Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, another Congress councillor and also a spokesperson of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee A.C. Vinayraj said that the Chief Minister, the Urban Development Minister, and the Minister for Municipal Administration are busy in election campaigns without bothering to address the issue.
“They do not have any concern for taxpayers and the future of striking workers,” he said.
The striking workers are from the downward strata of society and hence the government should attend to their problems immediately, he said, adding that the maintenance of 22 wet wells and four sewage treatment plants (STPs) have been affected in the city.
If the situation continues there is a possibility that the sewage will overflow from manholes, Mr. Vinayraj said.
He alleged that the two BJP MLAs of the city are busy in organising a convention in which Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will participate in the city on March 16, without attempting to resolve the issue. “The Mayor is behaving as if he has no connection with the strike,” he alleged.
He said that alternative arrangements should be made to lift the solid waste from the doorsteps of people.
