Protest by garbage collectors enters day two; traffic near MC diverted

Under the project,garbage would be collected and then sent directly to the dumping ground or Garbage Processing Plant,instead of being taken to the Sehaj Safai Kendras. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had given direction for the project.

The task of garbage collection had been handed over to a contractor,who would hire staff.

The garbage collectors were protesting against the move as it would deprive them of their source of livelihood.

Association President Om Prakash said,“If we work with the contractors,our salary will be half of what we earn now. The pilot project is an attempt to take away our source of income. We are demanding that we should be allowed to collect garbage from houses and deposit them with trolleys deployed by MC.”

BJP leaders also met the Municipal Commissioner and mooted a proposal that is likely to be brought to the Finance and Contract Committee for discussion. BJP has demanded that the pilot project in Sector 22 be scrapped,and a parallel system of collection should be put in place.

Councillor Arun Sood said,“We have proposed that the collectors must be allowed to collect garbage from V-6 roads,which in turn could be dumped in MC’s trolleys on V-5 roads.

The residents should be provided with dustbins of different colours to segregate waste at source. The charges for the service can be added to the water bill.”