East Delhi in a mess, garbage piled up in several areas

NEW DELHI: The ten-day long strike of East Delhi Municipal Corporation sanitation workers has reduced several areas of the locality into a complete mess with residents complaining of overpowering stench, resulting in a spike in the sales of face masks.

On a day the workers finally withdrew the strike, several areas of the locality were seen filled with piles of debris, covering the entire roads at many places including Patparganj and Laxmi Nagar.

However, the medical shop owners have a different tale to share. "I have sold 250 to 300 masks in last seven days whereas earlier we hardly used to sell 10 to 15 masks," said Rajesh, owner of a medical dispensary in Vikas Marg in Laxmi Nagar area.

"It's so difficult to breathe, people are avoiding this route and are using masks to avoid getting affected by pathogens," said Bunty, a localite.

Streets littered with garbage also proved dangerous for bikers as five accidents involving motorbikes were reported in last two weeks in Manglam chowk area of Patparganj.

"We are witnessing two-wheeler accidents here on a daily basis, it is difficult for the riders to balance while crossing such narrow strips," a fruit vendor said.

The shopkeepers in Mangal market (Laxmi Nagar) were also wearing a glum look on their faces. "These piles of garbage keep on lying here. We have taken up the task of cleaning for our customers' sake," said a shopkeeper.

"Its good that school students have their vacations these days, otherwise it would have been so difficult for them to come here, passing these stacks of litter," said an auto- driver, near Ahlcon International School there.

Rampal, a sanitation worker, complained of not receiving a salary hike "for years" and of unpaid arrears.

"Those who were on contracts have not been made permanent for the last twenty years," he said.

Sanitation workers of EDMC, who had stayed off duty for the last 10 days over non-payment of salaries, called off their strike today after after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government had released Rs 513 crore towards clearing their dues.