dpa
Paris
The city of Paris announced on Tuesday it would begin using diggers to remove mountains of rubbish on the streets following a refuse collection strike lasting over three weeks.
Special vehicles will be used to remove the remaining 7,000 tons of rubbish, said the city council. So far however, the large quantities of rubbish do not yet pose a health risk to the population, it said. The number of rats has not significantly increased either, the council added.The city said it is remaining vigilant and is in constant contact with the regional health authority, which has also confirmed that there is no health emergency.
The refuse strike is part of protests against pension reforms pushed through parliament by the government on the instructions of President Emmanuel Macron.After a police order, the refuse department had sent out 421 garbage trucks over the weekend, and 158 on Monday, twice as many as usual.In addition, 50 special vehicles were clearing refuse from blocked streets.The strike is only affecting the part of Paris in which municipalities are responsible for waste collection, while a private company collects waste in other districts.
The city of Paris said it was now focusing its efforts on clearing the rubbish from the route of the Paris Marathon which is happening next Sunday.
