Sangrur residents write open letter to AAP MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj over mounting garbage heaps
Babushahi Bureau
Sangrur (Punjab), May 10, 2026: Amid mounting garbage piles and an ongoing sanitation workers’ strike in Sangrur, local resident Jasinder Sekhon has written an open letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj, questioning the government over deteriorating civic conditions and urging symbolic action from the ruling party.
In the strongly worded letter addressed to the Sangrur MLA, Sekhon referred to the city’s garbage heaps as “mountains” that have continued to grow despite a change in government. The letter also recalled a 2021 protest photograph in which Bharaj, then an opposition leader, had staged demonstrations against the Congress government over the same issue.
The letter stated that while governments have changed, the garbage problem remains unresolved and has instead worsened over time.
Drawing attention to the AAP’s election symbol — the broom — the letter remarked that the “jhaadu” was not merely a party symbol but a promise to clean Punjab of both literal and political filth.
“If the Municipal Committee cannot find sanitation workers or resources, then at least symbolic action should be taken,” the letter stated, urging the MLA to revisit the protest site with a broom in hand and demonstrate accountability before the public.
The letter further claimed that more than 160 tonnes of garbage had accumulated across Sangrur city as the strike by sanitation workers entered its fifth day. It warned that if the situation continued, it could pose serious public health risks and potentially trigger the spread of disease.
Particular concern was raised over garbage heaps near Ranbir College, Banasar Bagh, the stadium area and several main roads, which residents said had become “welcome points” of the city.
A copy of the letter was also marked to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, with residents reminding him that Sangrur is his home district and urging immediate intervention to resolve the sanitation crisis.
The residents also attached photographs from Bharaj’s 2021 protest alongside recent images of overflowing garbage dumps to highlight what they described as a lack of change on the ground despite promises of better governance.