Peeved over non-payment of salaries, the sanitation workers of North and East Delhi Corporation led a massive protest across the city. Due to long delay in the payment of wages, the miffed workers dumped garbage on streets and public areas as a mark of protest and gheraoed corporation offices leading to traffic snarls across the city on Monday afternoon.

Nearly 10,000 sanitation workers took to the streets and dumped heaps of waste in the middle of traffic junctions and public places. The protesters, who have not received salaries since February last, threatened to intensify their stir if their demands are not met. lately, the Opposition in NMC held a dharna during the House meet and demanded urgent delivery of wages.

The workers also created ruckus at headquarters of East and North Corporations. At EDMC, they sat on dharna outside the main entrance. The workers raised slogans against the State Government as well as the Centre.

Blaming top authorities responsible for the fiasco, the safai karamcharis also met the EDMC Commissioner, Mayor, Standing Committee Chairman for immediate release of salaries up to March, but the talks failed.

“We asked to pay salaries for three months but the Commissioner rejected our demand. Even he failed to take care of our other concerns and now we have decided to carry on the protest. Even they are claiming to pay salary for February but no amount has been credited yet,” said Indra Pal Sagar, one of the representatives who met the EDMC top brass.

A physical survey of the area revealed sordid state of affairs and failure of Government bodies to tackle this issue. Roads between Wazirabad-Anand Vihar and Patparganj-laxmi Nagar turned into dumpyard as the workers seen dumping garbage at every 100 to 200 metre distance. Trash piles were also seen at the entry and exit points to residential colonies.

“We have asked employees not to collect waste from households, throw garbage of dhalaos on roads as the civic agency has failed to meet their demands,” said Subhash Kumar, who was participating in a protest at GTB Hospital.

The EDMC, however, claimed to pay salaries for February assuring to disburse March’s salary as soon as possible. “As sanitation workers are the backbone of the Corporation, we are leaving no stone unturned to meet their demand. The corporation is facing a fund crunch but we are trying to work out a solution,” said BB Tyagi, chairman of Standing Committee of EDMC.