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Lucknow sanitation suffers as Assam, Bengal workers leave for elections
08 Apr 2026

Lucknow's sanitation system is facing a major crisis as hundreds of sanitation workers have left for their native villages in Assam and West Bengal to cast their votes.

The mass exodus has left the municipal corporation short-staffed, forcing them to manage with double shifts and an increased workload.

In some areas, additional laborers are being hired at daily wages between ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 to handle garbage collection.

Garbage collection comes to a halt
Service disruption

The sudden departure of sanitation workers has left several areas, including the Indira Nagar slum area, without garbage collection services.

Residents have reported that garbage collection has stopped without any prior notice, leading to waste piling up.

Normally, around 1,430 vehicles and 3,500 workers are involved in sanitation work in Lucknow. However, reports suggest nearly 10,000 workers have left for election duties during this period.

Manpower shortage worsens due to pre-election drives
Manpower shortage

The sanitation crisis has been further aggravated by earlier verification drives that targeted people without Aadhaar cards.

These drives reportedly led to some workers leaving or being removed, adding to an existing manpower shortage of 60-70%.

The verification drive started last year. In February, Lucknow police confirmed they have not identified a single Bangladeshi national residing illegally in the city after months of sustained verification drives.

Mayor addresses concerns, confirms continuation of drives
Ongoing efforts

Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal confirmed that drives against illegal migrants will continue.

She said many people without Aadhaar cards disappeared during earlier drives, identifying them as Bangladeshis.

The remaining workers from Assam have gone to vote, she added.

The city usually collects around 2,100 metric tons of garbage daily but this figure has dropped drastically due to the ongoing sanitation crisis.