CHENNAI: More than 250 sanitary workers were detained by the Chintadripet police on Thursday after around 1,000 workers gathered at May Day Park to resume their protest against being transferred to a private solid waste management firm, Delhi MSW Ltd of the Ramky Group, which is now handling waste management in the Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones.
Sanitary workers said they decided to gather at the park after their request to resume their protest at the Rajarathinam Stadium was denied by the police.
"We decided to gather at the park so that we can protest without inconveniencing the public, but the police beat us up, leaving some of us injured and then forcibly removed us from the spot," said a worker who did not want to be named.
A 64-year-old sanitary worker from the Thiru Vi Ka zone said that she suffered injuries to her hand after she was manhandled by the police.
While police sources said that 250 workers were detained, workers claimed the number could exceed 400. They have now been accommodated in community halls at multiple locations, including Saidapet and Thoraipakkam, the police said.
Meanwhile, the city corporation, in a press release, stated that solid waste management in the two zones has not been impacted and that a total of 50,490 MT of waste has been collected from the two zones from 19 July until 3 September.