The 18-day-old sanitation workers’ strike in Haryana took a confrontational turn on Sunday as municipal authorities, backed by police, launched clearance operations in several cities to remove mountains of accumulated garbage, leading to detentions and clashes with protesting workers.
The most serious confrontation was reported from Hisar, where more than 3,600 tonnes of uncollected waste had accumulated during the strike. Around 5 am, a municipal corporation team accompanied by a police contingent, earth movers and dumpers reached ITI Chowk to clear the garbage. Police have also registered an FIR against 16 named sanitation workers, including Municipal Employees Union unit president Surender Golu, in connection with an earlier confrontation at ITI Chowk. Around 100 unidentified workers have also been booked. The case, registered on a complaint by municipal engineer Amit Berwal and reports from sanitation inspectors, invokes Sections 121(1), 132, 189(2), 190, 191(2), 221, 270 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. In Charkhi Dadri, police detained more than a dozen municipal sanitation workers around 4 am on Sunday. In Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, for instance, the municipal corporation on Sunday began removing around 700 tonnes of accumulated waste from 42 dumping points with police assistance; around 39 protesting workers were detained during the operation. The city has been facing growing sanitation problems, with waste heaps spilling onto roads and foul odour affecting residents after nearly 17 days of the strike.
Similar action was reported from other parts of the state. Sub-inspector Vikas Kumar is investigating the case. The action prompted sanitation workers, employee union representatives and members of social organisations to gather in protest.
Striking workers obstructed a joint municipal and police team during a garbage-clearance operation, climbed onto a JCB machine and allegedly pushed its driver down besides threatening officials and employees, according to the municipal corporation. Officials said photographs, CCTV footage and videos were used to identify those allegedly involved. In Bahadurgarh, sanitation workers opposed a municipal council team that arrived with police personnel on Saturday night to remove accumulated garbage.
