Visakhapatnam: GVMC Mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari
addressed the ongoing sanitation workers strike across the state,
highlighting the disturbance in sanitation services in Visakhapatnam over the past five days. On Saturday, the Mayor and GVMC's entire wing voluntarily participated in sanitation work in Arilova within the second zone and surrounding areas, emphasizing the impact of the strike on waste management in the city. The mayor’s husband and YSRC 11th ward in-charge Golagani Srinivasa Rao also participated in the garbage cleaning program.
Expressing concern over the accumulating waste due to the strike, the mayor, along with the government's permanent sanitation workers, actively cleaned various areas in the Arilova region. The city mayor was optimistic that discussions with Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy would lead to a resolution of the sanitation workers' issues. She requested the cooperation of the citizens, urging them to use designated GVMC dust bins and refrain from unnecessary disposal of garbage in the absence of regular sanitation services.
The mayor appealed to Resident Welfare Associations, Voluntary
Organizations, Public-Private Organizations, Ward Members, and the public to support the city's cleanliness initiatives. In light of the ongoing strike, the mayor urged permanent sanitation workers to resume their duties promptly.
Meanwhile, 4900 outsourcing sanitation workers who are not attending duties as part of the statewide strike prevented permanent and 1500 temporary workers from cleaning and lifting garbage. GVMC has hired 1500 temporary workers for Vizag’s eight zones sanitation work. At present GVMC is running 85 garbage vehicles in residential colonies to lift garbage.
However, the sanitation workers who are on strike are preventing these workers from working. Due to this GVMC took the help of Vizag police to lift garbage from big garbage dumping bins as a result there was agitation from out-sourcing workers due to which tension prevailed in many residential areas.
