Jaipur: Delays in Jaipur Municipal Corporation’s sanitation drive have raised concerns over the city’s preparedness ahead of Diwali. Hopper helpers and drivers in Kishanpole zone returned to work on Monday after a 10-day strike, but only 60% of the garbage accumulated during the stoppage has been cleared. Deployment of 3,000 additional sanitation workers across 150 wards has also been delayed in some zones because of pending tenders.The additional workforce was scheduled to be deployed from Saturday. However, the delay has left councillors concerned, as cleaning markets, streets and drains is crucial ahead of Diwali. They said deploying extra workers after the festival would defeat the purpose of the exercise.Mayor Sunil Kothari acknowledged the delay in the tender process, saying holidays had affected the schedule. “There was some delay in the tenders due to holidays, although work had been completed in around 60-70% of the zones. We will discuss the matter with the commissioner again to ensure the exercise serves its purpose,” he said.Kothari said a special one-day cleanliness drive would be held in every ward, with 20 additional workers joining the existing sanitation staff. Deputy commissioners have been asked to prepare a plan for the next 10 days, and the work will be inspected during this period.The corporation said separate tenders had been issued to provide 20 additional workers for each ward. While several tenders have been opened, others are still pending. Cleaning of drains and narrow lanes will be taken up as contractors are appointed and requirements are assessed.
