A disturbing incident unfolded in Panchkula, where a group of municipal corporation sanitation workers allegedly assaulted and held captive a team of door-to-door garbage collectors. The incident, reported by Vijaypal, a supervisor with the Puja Consultancy Company, has raised serious concerns about safety and order in the city.
According to Vijaypal, on July 31 at around 8 a.m., drivers from Puja Consultancy were preparing to take their vehicles, parked at the Jhuriwala dumping ground in Sector 23, to collect garbage. Suddenly, a mob of 30 to 40 sanitation workers blocked their way, preventing the drivers from exiting their vehicles. The situation escalated as the group physically assaulted six drivers, along with Vijaypal himself.
Vijaypal claims the attackers, primarily sanitation workers employed by the Panchkula Municipal Corporation (MC), threatened to kill the drivers if they attempted to lift the garbage or leave the area. He also alleged that they threatened to set the vehicles on fire. Due to the intimidation, garbage collection in the city has come to a halt.
In his complaint, Vijaypal identified 16 sanitation workers involved in the assault, naming individuals such as Joginder, Ram Singh, and Shamsher, among others. He stated that he could recognize all the attackers, as they work closely within the municipal sanitation department.
The Chandimandir police have filed a case under many provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including illegal assembly and rioting, in response to the complaint. To guarantee responsibility and bring order back to the region, local authorities are currently looking into the incident. Outrage over this occurrence has led to requests for better safety protocols for those who work in the waste management and sanitation fields.
