Around 42,000 sanitation workers and drivers across Bihar's urban local bodies continue their strike for a third day.

The strike by sanitation workers and drivers attached to urban local bodies in Bihar has now stretched into its third day. Roughly 42,000 sanitation staff and drivers are taking part in the walkout.

With the strike underway, garbage has accumulated across streets and residential areas, leaving residents grappling with an unpleasant stench. The uncollected waste has also heightened concerns about the spread of infectious illnesses.

Within the Patna Municipal Corporation, around 5,000 workers are participating in the strike. While the civic body has arranged alternative staff to handle garbage collection, those on strike are reportedly blocking these substitute workers from carrying out their duties.

The Municipal Commissioner has directed that FIRs be lodged against anyone found obstructing the work. In multiple parts of Patna, garbage collection is being carried out under police protection, with much of the work now shifted to nighttime hours to sidestep potential confrontations.

Meanwhile, in Darbhanga and Samastipur, striking employees held sit-in demonstrations outside municipal corporation offices, raising slogans against the state government.

Municipal Commissioner Yashpal Meena has instructed all sanitation inspectors to bring in 15 to 20 additional helpers per ward to supplement the workers already deployed, ensuring collection work continues uninterrupted. He has also asked officials to identify anyone hindering operations and initiate FIRs against them.

Further, he has directed all officials to keep a close watch over their assigned zones and carry out dedicated night-time cleaning operations, with waste collection to proceed under police supervision throughout.

The Municipal Commissioner has called on sanitation staff to resume their duties, noting that the Patna Municipal Corporation has already met every union demand that falls within its authority, while the remaining demands have been forwarded for further consideration. He urged employees to put public welfare first and return to work at once so the city's cleaning operations can run smoothly.