#sanitation workers

The day the promise comes due: Chennai's sanitation workers wait for the TVK to keep its word

Chennai's sanitation workers paused a 15-day strike on September 4 after four TVK ministers promised relief. The core demands — regularisation, weekly holidays, Collector-rate wages — were deferred to a review due on October 3. That day is here, and the structural promises are still paper. The...

4 October 2026 · 2 min read

Row of colour-coded public waste segregation bins

Opinion

The bin is not the story: Chennai's segregation drive must begin with the dignity of its workers

Chennai's resumed 40-day segregation campaign shows households will sort their waste when given the tools — compliance jumped from 35% to 64%. But bins do not empty themselves. The campaign's real test is whether it honours the sanitation workers who carry its weight.

2 October 2026 · 2 min read