Stinking Tirupati faces health hazard

Tirupati: With no end to the indefinite strike of municipal contract workers visible, the temple city of Tirupati is not only stinking but also faces threat of health hazard due to piling up of garbage as all municipal workers, including sanitary workers are on strike for the past four days.

Tirupati, which had won awards as a smart city, is now presenting a dirty picture with garbage strewn all around and foul smell emanating from nalas. The city has a large number of floating population as it attracts pilgrims from across the country for darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

Due to the strike of contract workers, door-to-door household waste collection had come to a standstill. The residents have no option but to dump the garbage at the street corners. Going round the city one can find two bins of household garbage outside the compound walls of each house attracting flies and emanating smell.

Fish market, vegetable market, business centres where garbage accumulates heavily every day is making life unbearable for those who visit the market.

Fish waste is being dumped beside the market. Unable to bear the stench emanating from putrefying garbage, some residents felt nausea and vomiting. In the old city located along the Karnala street, Mahati Road, Ramakrishna Theatre Road, Bhavani Nagar, Mosque Road, Nethaji Road, and G Car street where commercial and residential areas are located and have narrow lanes present a pathetic view. In addition to heaps of garbage these areas have open drains and people fearing that it could lead to serious health problems.

Meanwhile, the municipal authority has taken up cleaning of the main drains using JCB to avoid stagnation. The city, according to the Municipal Health Officer ER Harikrishna, generates 120 metric tonnes of wet waste and 70 tonnes of dry waste every day.

Municipal Workers Union state vice-president Ramachandraiah said that the government had finally called them for talks on Friday at Vijayawada. This would be the third meeting since the earlier two rounds of talks failed.

The employees are demanding salary to the workers as per 11th PRC or equal wage for equal work.