Srinagar: Even after so much of focus on hygiene and cleanliness, people in many areas of Srinagar have shut their doors to sanitation workers, fearing transmission of Covid-19. Sanitation workers say they are not being allowed to go door-to-door to collect garbage.

People throw their garbage in the open at various places and the sanitation workers have to pick it up like street rag-pickers.

Union president of municipal sanitation workers, Ghulam Mohammad Solina, told Kashmir Reader that workers are facing this problem for many weeks now. “People have to understand that sanitation workers are wearing proper protection gear and the virus cannot be transmitted through it,” Solina said.

He said that people of many areas, which include Dargah, Chanpora, Natipora, etc, residents throw the garbage in lanes, bylanes, and open spaces. “This creates more problems for all of us,” Solina said.

Sanitation Officer at SMC, Syed Nissar, said sanitation workers are not able to collect household garbage because residents are not opening their gate for garbage collection.

NAZIMA SIDIQ