Delhi garbage crisis: Waste piles up on street, sanitation workers protest against CM Arvind Kejriwal

Pic courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: The civic condition in east Delhi appeared to turn messier as blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi Municipal Corporation continued with sanitation workers refusing to call off their strike. 

On Monday, the sanitation workers protested at Laxmi Nagar against the Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and raised slogans against him over their delayed salaries. Arvind Kejriwal and raised slogans against him over their delayed salaries. 

It has been reported that the sanitation workers (D category of civic employees) have not received their salaries for two months. As per the MCD rules, they are supposed to be the first to receive salaries. The workers also raised slogans against the EDMC and the state government. 

This is the fifth strike of sanitation workers in past two years. With sanitation workers continuing with their strike, tonnes of garbage have been piled up on the streets of east Delhi since last week. According to a media report, at least 7,000 tonnes of garbage have been dumped in the open areas in east Delhi.

East Delhi generates a large quantity of garbage with Ghazipur landfill site receiving on an average 2,500 tonnes of waste daily.

The sanitation workers have launched an indefinite strike demanding payment of their pending dues of three months. The workers have also raised their other demands including regularisation of staff and clearance of arrears.

On January 8, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had claimed that the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation has released "more funds" to civic bodies than any other previous governments.

"This government (AAP) has given more funds to the municipal corporations than any other governments in the past. I don’t know where do they spend it," he said.

"The political executive of the municipal corporation takes interest in things like not letting the MLAs do their works under development funds, and ask municipal corporation officials to not roam around with MLAs. But, what do they do with funds given by us," he asked.

Sisodia also alleged that BJP-ruled civic bodies were "busy extracting bribe and not taxes".

"If they would collect taxes properly, from half of its amount they can pay the salaries of these employees. But, we don’t know which drain they flush the money," he alleged.

On the other hand, the Delhi BJP has accused the ruling party in the national capital behind the garbage mess the national capital is facing. 

East Delhi mayor Satya Sharma too accused the AAP government of "not cooperating" on the issue.