Shimla: The ongoing strike by sanitation workers has pushed the hill capital into an alarming sanitation crisis, with garbage piling up across markets, residential areas and tourist hotspots after waste collection came to a near standstill.
Heaps of garbage were seen outside hotels and restaurants and even along the iconic The Mall Road, as sanitation workers stayed off duty demanding a hike in wages.
Several city wards reported overflowing bins and littered streets, triggering concerns over public hygiene.
The strike, which comes ahead of the nationwide Swachh Survekshan, has exposed the fragile waste management system of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, which has so far failed to resolve the workers’ long-pending demands.
Residents and tourists alike have begun feeling the impact as garbage heaps accumulate in busy areas, markets and near eateries.
The situation has created unhygienic conditions, with foul smell and stray animals hovering around waste dumps.
Ward councillors in some areas have appealed to residents to deposit garbage at designated collection points so that temporary arrangements can be made to lift the waste.
However, with the strike continuing, the stop-gap measures have done little to prevent garbage from piling up.
If the deadlock persists, the sanitation crisis could worsen in Shimla, raising serious questions about the civic body’s preparedness to manage waste in a city that receives thousands of tourists every day.
