Sanitary Workers Enter Cooum River To Protest Against Privatisation Of Solid Waste Management
The workers have been staging the agitation over the civic body's decision to privatise the two zones and demands regularisation of their services.
Published : January 6, 2026 at 5:07 PM IST
Chennai: Stepping up their agitation against the privatisation of two zones in the city, a section of sanitary workers have entered the Cooum River as part of garnering the attention of the government and the Greater Chennai Corporation. The workers have been staging the agitation for more than three months over the civic body's decision to privatise the two zones, as they fear job losses and demand regularisation of their services.
Holding placards, some of the workers, including women, entered the Cooum River, which is full of sewage discharge, up to waist level, on January 5, and raised slogans against the decision of the Greater Chennai Corporation to allow private operators to take over the solid waste management of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Royapuram zones in the North Chennai area.
Police, along with the support of Fire and Rescue Personnel, entered the Cooum River and forcibly removed the agitating protestors. They were taken to a nearby community hall and were later let off, police said.
The President of 'Uzhippor Urimai Iyakkam' (Movement for rights of workers), K Bharathi, said the workers have been holding protests over the last 158 days, which include protesting in the cemetery and beach. They would continue to hold their protest pressing for their demands, he said.
"Please understand what kind of situation they have been put into as the workers have been protesting in the cemetery and in the Cooum River. The government has been holding talks with other protesting organisations, including those of nurses, government workers, and secondary grade teachers. But they are not ready to hold talks with the sanitary workers," he told reporters.
"If they are ready to discuss with us and address our demands, we are ready to call off our protests", he said.
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