With the sanitation workers on strike for the past two months lifting of garbage in the city has taken a hit and piles of garbage strewn all over the streets have become a common sight. Field work like sweeping, door-to door collection of garbage and emptying the garbage bins has gone for a toss, making life miserable for the citizens. In many places combustible items like cloth, wood, paper and plastic catch fire polluting the surrounding areas.

The current outbreak of dengue and malaria in the city is partly triggered by such piles of garbage at various locations. These garbage piles are acting as fertile breeding puddles for mosquitoes, resulting in the outbreaks of deadly diseases.  The routine anti- larval operations too have taken a back seat due to various reasons, the lethargic attitude of the civic body being one of them.

When Cabinet Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Pradhumun Singh Tomar was informed about this chronic issue he reached Chaar Shahar Nakka and began removing the garbage from different spots.  He also took a broom and swept the streets in the area.

As soon as news of the minister cleaning the roads reached Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Makin, he rushed to the spot with a team of sweepers. The commissioner also gave show- cause notices to three officials of the corporation including the Deputy Health Officer. It is also learnt that the services of 10 sanitary workers have been terminated. Later on minister Tomar reached the dumping station situated behind the PHE colony and instructed the civic authorities to shift the garbage as soon as possible.