The garbage crisis across Punjab is set to worsen as the talks between the state government and sanitation workers failed on Friday.Major cities and towns in the Malwa, Doaba and Majha regions are already witnessing heaps of garbage piling up near markets, residential colonies, schools, hospitals and along roadsides. With temperature nearing 40°C, residents fear an outbreak of vector-borne diseases.More than 30,000 workers involved in garbage collection and disposal are on an indefinite strike, leading to mounting waste across urban areas.Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Local Bodies Minister Harjot Singh Bains held a four-hour meeting with representatives of the Municipal Safai Karmachari Union. The ministers assured the workers that outsourced and contractual employees would be regularised, but said a formal announcement could be made only after the poll code of conduct ended.Safai Karmachari Union state convener Ramesh said the strike would continue until the government gave a written assurance on regularisation. “They have been giving assurances for the last four years. Since municipal elections are being held, the government wants to end the strike fearing backlash in poll results,” he alleged.Punjab has been struggling with inadequate waste-processing infrastructure for years. Last year, the state government informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that only 41 per cent of the solid waste generated in Punjab was being treated.According to official data, Punjab generates 4,376 tonnes of solid waste daily, of which only 2,200 tonne is processed. Urban bodies in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala are processing less than half the waste generated in their cities.The ongoing strike has severely affected waste disposal, leading to overflowing garbage dumps across several urban centres.