Garbage crisis recedes as sanitation workers end strike

Around 15,000 sanitation workers today called off their 12-day-long strike, averting a looming health crisis hours after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung announced to release Rs 493 crore for their salaries even as Rahul Gandhi accused both Centre and AAP government of passing the buck on each other.
The municipal corporations said all the striking sanitation workers have returned to work and heaps of garbage across East Delhi and in some other parts of the city are being removed on an emergency basis.
Heaps of garbage have been rotting on roads and bylanes, particularly in east Delhi raising stink and health concerns as frustrated citizens voiced their anger against the authorities. East Delhi Municipal Corporation spokesman said on an average 2,000 to 2,200 metric tonnes of garbage are daily generated.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said around Rs 500 crore have already been released to municipal corporations to pay the salaries of their employees.
"All the MCD workers will be paid their salaries by 10th of every month and their pending dearness allowance arrears will be cleared within a week," said a top official.
Earlier in the day, Rahul visited the agitating sanitation workers outside East Delhi MCD office in Patparganj. Sitting with them on ground, he attacked the Centre and Delhi Government for "failing to deliver" on their "tall promises".

"Delhi government says it is not our responsibility. It is the responsibilty of the Centre. Centre says it is not their responsibility but that of Delhi government.

"When you go to Delhi government, they say take your wages from Central government, when you go to Central government they tell you to get it from the Delhi government. The reality is that both these are mere excuses," the Congress Vice President said while addressing the sanitation workers.
As the garbage crisis worsened, mayors of three BJP-ruled municipal bodies called on Jung and requested his intervention after which he said Delhi government has already decided to release Rs 493 crore.