Complaints rise as garbage disposal goes off track in Lucknow

Ward corporations across various areas of the state capital have expressed concern over the worsening sanitation crisis, citing a rise in complaints from residents about the irregular door-to-door waste collection, as migrant workers employed by private agencies continue to return to Assam ahead of the April 9 elections.

On Saturday, HT contacted corporators from various places, including Aashiyana, Burlington and Gomti Nagar, who said the disruption is now affecting several areas. They said that in some places garbage goes uncollected for days, with sanitation services becoming complaint-driven rather than routine.

Corporator Shailendra Verma said complaints started coming from Vikrant Khand, Vijayant Khand and Vibhav Khand. “We are now receiving 7–8 complaints daily, which was not the case earlier. The situation is likely to worsen by April 8 as more workers leave,” he said.

Amit Chowdhury, Mahatma Gandhi ward corporator, also reported severe disruption in his ward. “In areas like Mall Avenue and Naye Basti, waste has not been collected for up to four days. The agencies only respond after repeated complaints,” he said.

Similarly, Ismailganj ward corporator Mukesh Singh Chauhan flagged similar issues in Patel Nagar, Harihar Nagar and Sector 9, while Vidhyavati ward corporator Kaushlendra Dwivedi said that newly recruited workers were struggling to follow routes, resulting in several households being skipped.

HT report highlights cause

The development comes days after a Hindustan Times report on April 4 highlighted that a large number of migrant sanitation workers from Assam had started returning to their home state to contest the upcoming assembly elections.

The report noted that many workers fear that failure to vote could result in their names being struck off the electoral roll, further fueling concerns about their citizenship. A significant number of these workers are employed by two private agencies appointed to the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).

Agency representatives have indicated that nearly 30% of their workforce has either already left or is expected to leave before April 8, resulting in a manpower shortage.

LMC initiates action against agencies

Following the report and the increasing complaints from corporations, the LMC initiated action against the agencies. Officials said notifications are being prepared, directing the agencies to ensure adequate staffing and maintain uninterrupted services.

Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar said the civic body was closely monitoring the situation. “We have not yet seen a significant increase in complaints on the helpline, but field inputs are taken seriously. Payments to agencies are performance-based, and strict penalties will be imposed for any lapses,” he said.

Environmental Engineer Sanjeev Pradhan confirmed that notices are being issued to both agencies regarding the disruption flagged in the report.

Removes steady numbers despite collection gaps

Despite disruptions in door-to-door collection, LMC data suggests that the overall volume of waste reaching the Shivri plant has remained steady. The city recorded 1,805 metric tons of waste on March 31, 1,822 metric tons on April 1, 1,909 metric tons on April 2 and 1,983 metric tons on April 3. Officials said the city processes about 2,000 metric tons of municipal waste and an additional 200 metric tons daily.

Corporators warn of more disruptions

With more workers expected to leave in the coming days, corporations have warned that the situation could worsen unless agencies urgently deploy trained replacements. The LMC’s enforcement measures and the agencies’ ability to bridge the manpower gap will be crucial in preventing further deterioration of sanitation services in the run-up to the Assam elections.