Visakhapatnam is grappling with mounting garbage troubles as outsourced sanitation workers, on strike since December 26 demanding job regularisation, continue to stay off duty.

The city's streets are marred by overflowing bins and a lingering stench, prompting the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to seek assistance from public sector entities.

GVMC has reached out to RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), Simhachalam Devasthanam, the Indian Navy, and private pharmaceutical firms, urging them to lend their sanitation workers on alternate days.

While there has been a positive response, the situation remains challenging.

In a temporary measure, GVMC is enlisting 2,000 individuals from a pool of municipal worker applicants, offering a daily wage of ₹549.

However, the city, generating approximately 845 tonnes of garbage daily, faces a backlog of around 7,605 tonnes in the past nine days.

With 4,900 outsourced and contract sanitation workers on strike, demanding job regularisation, the standoff intensifies.

GVMC is working to collect garbage with limited staff, appealing to citizens not to dump waste on streets but to use designated bins.

As the government-worker deadlock persists, the impact on essential services raises concerns in the run-up to elections.

The workers remain resolute, emphasizing their strike will persist until their demands are addressed by the State government.