Ahmedabad, with a population of 5.63 million, is bearing the brunt of the indefinite strike called by over 13,000 safai workers. The strike entered day two on Tuesday.
The Heritage City is ranked 12th in cleanliness in the country.
Even as the agitating safai workers have made it clear that they would continue their strike till their demands are met, newly appointed Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra has categorically said the strike is because the civic body insisted on attendance.
Jayantibhai Makwana of the workers' union told THE WEEK that their demands include extending the benefits offered to permanent employees to daily wagers as well. Makwana said the daily wagers, who are hired on rotational basis, get none of the benefits given to the family members of permanent employees.
He further said as the city's limit has expanded, there is a need to recruit more safai workers. Ahmedabad is spread over 464 square kilometres.
The safai workers refuted the claim of the civic body chief that no notice was given prior to the agitation saying they had submitted to the municipality a letter with 16 demands.
On Monday, the workers dumped garbage on the roads in protest against the municipal corporation which dubbed their strike “blackmail”.
Nehra had taken to Twitter to say #SayNoToBlackmail”. He said 25 per cent employees remain absent in the mornings and the ratio is 60 per cent in the afternoons.
Pointing out that tax payers of the city pay Rs 325 crore every year as wages, Nehra said they were making alternative arrangements to clear the garbage. He urged people not to throw garbage on the roads and instead give it to the door-to-door collection vans.
Despite the claims of making alternative arrangements, at several places, garbage could be seen strewn all over, giving enough indication of the problems that would arise if the strike is continued.
Makwana said they were open to talks as they also wish to keep the city clean.
The indefinite strike comes at a time when heavy rains have lashed Ahmedabad in the past couple of days. The city is also witnessing traffic regulation drive with the police and municipal corporation asking mall owners and other commercial complexes to allow the visitors to park their vehicles in the parking lots of the buildings.
The traffic police have also undertaken an exercise to clear vehicles parked on either sides of the roads.