Faridkot's 450 contractual sanitation workers, who called off a 20-day strike on Tuesday, have announced a fresh strike beginning Wednesday, plunging the city back into a sanitation crisis. The brief resumption of cleaning operations was short-lived as a pre-scheduled state-wide strike, planned before the local truce, goes ahead.
Payment Promises Fail to Avert Strike
The workers suspended their strike after the Municipal Council (MC) released May's outstanding wages and promised to pay June dues within two days. However, as of Tuesday evening, June salaries remained unpaid. The Improvement Trust Faridkot agreed to release Rs 1.5 crore from MC Faridkot's total outstanding dues of approximately Rs 5.5 crore toward June salaries, but banks had not cleared the transaction.
“All sanitation workers have resumed duty, but they are still awaiting their June salaries,” said Punjab Safai Sewak Union president Ashok Kumar Sarwan. He confirmed that Wednesday's strike was decided in advance over the government's persistent failure to address long-pending demands and will proceed regardless of local developments.
Health and Legal Fallout
Nearly three weeks of uncollected waste have left heaps of garbage lining every street, market and major thoroughfare, even spilling near the District Courts. Clogged drains, a suffocating stench and swarms of mosquitoes, flies and stray animals have turned the town into a breeding ground for infectious diseases, drawing urgent warnings from the health department.
On Tuesday, Faridkot resident Atul Gupta, 55, filed an application before the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services) against the Municipal Council, the State of Punjab, the Punjab Pollution Control Board and the Director of Local Government. The petition accuses authorities of “gross administrative negligence” and “public nuisance,” arguing the uncollected waste violates residents' fundamental right to life and a clean environment under Article 21 of the Constitution. Citing violations of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, Gupta demands immediate judicial intervention and an exemplary penalty of Rs 1 crore against the respondents, to be directed toward the District Bar Association or a local NGO for public welfare.
