Indian cities deploy sanitation workers to clear post-Diwali waste

Municipal corporations in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli have launched large-scale sanitation operations to manage the significant accumulation of waste following Diwali celebrations.

In Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation has mobilized 600 sanitation personnel and 350 vehicles to clear firecracker debris from roads, public spaces, and stormwater drains. The city has distributed 30,000 specialized collection bags to workers and is utilizing mechanical sweeping machines for overnight cleaning. Officials have requested that residents and large residential complexes separate firecracker remains from regular household waste.

In Tiruchirappalli, the City Corporation has deployed 1,150 sanitation workers to clear an estimated 800 tonnes of festive waste, primarily from busy commercial districts such as Rockfort and Gandhi Market Road. The waste includes plastic bags, paper, empty firecracker boxes, and food packaging. This year's cleanup effort is slightly larger than the previous year, which saw approximately 780 tonnes of waste removed.