Chandigarh, May 11 -- With sanitation workers in Haryana continuing their strike in support of various demands, the Opposition on Monday alleged that the state was witnessing a severe sanitation crisis, with garbage piling up across cities and towns, posing serious health risks.
The sanitation workers, under the banner of the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh, announced that their strike would continue till May 14, accusing the state government of failing to address their demands despite repeated appeals.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the sanitation situation across the state had become deplorable.
"Piles of garbage have accumulated everywhere, with waste scattered across roads and streets," Hooda said, alleging that the BJP government remained indifferent to the worsening crisis. He extended support to the striking workers and urged the government to immediately begin talks with employee representatives.
The workers are demanding regularisation of contractual employees, implementation of minimum wages and resolution of long-pending issues related to fire service staff.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that over 3,500 metric tonnes of garbage was lying unattended in Gurugram alone, creating conditions conducive to the spread of diseases such as dengue and malaria.
Congress leader Brijendra Singh warned that Haryana was on the verge of a health emergency as heaps of garbage continued to accumulate in cities including Gurugram, Hisar and Faridabad.
Meanwhile, Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana president Naresh Shastri accused the government of adopting a "stubborn attitude" and confirmed that the Municipal Employees Union had decided to extend the strike till May 14.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.