Rotting garbage cripples trade, sparks health fears in Ludhiana

Garbage left uncleared for four to five days in Kochar Market, Jawahar Nagar, Ludhiana, has crippled trade and raised health concerns.

Customer footfall in Kochar Market has fallen by 20-25%, according to Inderpal Singh, general secretary of the Jawahar Nagar Camp Shopkeepers Association.

District epidemiologist Dr Sheetal Narang warned that the garbage could increase risk of vector- and water-borne diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea, and jaundice.

Sanitation workers withdrew their strike on Saturday, but mounds of uncollected garbage remained across markets and residential areas.