Mayor hopeful for a solution to sanitary workers’ strike by March 27

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Mar 25, 2023: Mayor Jayananda Anchan said here on Friday, March 24, that the city corporation is hopeful that the Statewide strike by outsourced sanitary workers in urban local bodies might end by March 27 even as the operation and maintenance of four sewage treatment plans, 22 wet wells and underground drainage (UGD) network in the city has completely come to a standstill.

 

Addressing press persons, he said that the two city MLAs and the corporation have held parleys with the striking workers who have been relenting to return to the work. Earlier, though about 281 workers associated with the operation and maintenance of STPs, wet wells and UGD agreed to resume work, later they changed their mind and did not return to work.

The Mayor said that the corporation even promised them of paying their salaries for the striking days. The MLAs had promised them to take their leaders to Bengaluru to hold talks with the Chief Minister as a decision on their demands will have to be taken at the State-level.

He said that of 120 vehicles engaged with the collection and transportation of garbage from the doorsteps, only 75 vehicles are in operation now. Of 17 compactors (large lorry vehicles which are secondary transporting vehicles) transporting garbage from the city to Pachchanady compost site, only four are in operation due to the strike. The civic body has been trying its best to clear garbage from the doorsteps of people.

No water rationing now

Whip in the council and former Mayor Premananda Shetty said that water storage level at Thumbe vented dam, from where drinking water is supplied to the city, came down to 4.96 mts from fix mts on Friday. The refilling of the Thumbe dam from the AMR vented dam at Shamboor, which is on the upstream of Thumbe, by releasing water from Shamboor might be needed in the first week of April. Once the refilling is done and water level is maintained at six mts at Thumbe, the storage will be enough to meet the demand till May 15. If there will be some more summer rains inflow to Thumbe dam, built across the Netravathi, will increase, he said.

Hence there is no move to go for water rationing now, Mr. Shetty said.

The ward-wise action plan is ready to supply water through tankers in case the need be in May, he said.

Courtesy: The Hindu