East Delhi Roads Become Garbage Dumps, May Take Weeks to Clean Up

Sanitation workers dumped garbage on Delhi’s roads, as the AAP-BJP blame game continued, making residents suffer.

Roads in East Delhi are strewn with garbage, barely leaving any space for vehicles and causing inconvenience to pedestrians. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

Dirty politics has polluted the streets of Delhi. Literally. Amid the tug-of-war between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the BJP-led Centre, the residents of East Delhi are knee-deep in squalor. Safai-wallahs have dumped garbage on the streets of Patparganj, Mayur Vihar and Laxmi Nagar, alleging non-payment of salary and other dues by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

Garbage lies scattered on the streets near Mangalam, Patparganj. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

The waste started to appear from June 2, and in just a few days the situation has worsened manifold. With the monsoons closing in, the residents have been concerned about the unhygienic surroundings. Fortunately, the strike was called off today evening, and sanitation workers will get back to work soon. But with heaps of garbage lying on several roads, it may take weeks to clean up the mess.

The strike by sanitation workers have wreaked havoc in East Delhi. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

The heap of garbage on many roads is posing inconvenience to both vehicles and pedestrians. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

A pedestrian passes by a mound of garbage. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

“The schools will be reopening soon. The garbage is all lying all around. In the fight between Arvind Kejriwal and Narendra Modi, the common man is losing”, said Noor-ul-Hasan, a resident of Patparganj.

“I have lost half of my customers,” said Urmila, who manages a food stall in the Mandawali area. Just a stone throw away lies a garbage dump, attracting flies and insects. “if it rains anytime soon, I might have to close the shop because nobody will eat in such a mess,” she added.

The garbage poses as a serious health hazard, especially for children. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

A garbage collector dumping more garbage on the streets. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

An overflowing garbage dump in IP Extension, blocking a park entry. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

The garbage has even reached footpaths. (Photo: Sanjoy Deb/ The Quint)

The social media also went abuzz with reactions. ‘East Delhi MCD’ became a trending Twitter topic today.