The sanitation staff of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) is facing challenges due to the public transport not being operational in the State due to the state-wide lockdown to prevent spread of novel Coronovirus (COVID-19). According to the officials many additional sanitation workers did not arrive for the work because of Janata Curfew on Sunday and the lockdown on Monday.
In many parts of the city, the garbage has been gathering for past few days. Some locals also alleged that the garbage collection vehicles have stopped coming to their areas from municipal corporation. "It's been more than a week since garbage was collected by MCD.
We waited for the first two days but then some of us had to find a dustbin in another locality to dump our garbage while some threw it by the roadside. The problem has become more severe in last three days due to Janata curfew and lockdown," said an Adhoiwala resident, Prahlad Joshi.
However according to Dehradun deputy municipal commissioner Rohitash Sharma, the team of sanitation workers has been divided for the sanitisation of the city as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 but the routine work of the corporation has not stopped due to it. He said that there might be some delay in garbage picking and cleaning but the usual work routine of corporation is being followed across the city.
Sharma said, "The work of collecting garbage continues in Dehradun besides the sanitisation of the public places by MCD." However, he added, many additional sanitation workers who generally come from rural areas to work for the municipal corporation have not arrived due to the situation going on in the state like Janata curfew and lockdown of various services due to coronavirus. Therefore, there might be some delay in the routine works of the corporation like cleaning and garbage collection but no work is being halted by MCD in Dehradun, said Sharma.