38 tonnes of cracker garbage generated

The southern region zones of Adyar, Sholinganallur and Perungudi, besides Alandur, were responsible for the lion’s share of fire cracker waste generated in the city. The waste is not taken to the Perungudi or Kodungaiyur land fill sites. Rather, it would be transported to the Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility set up inside the Gummidipoondi Sipcot campus, where it will be incinerated.

Zone five officials, where 2.5 tonne fire cracker waste was collected, told DC that the amount was half of what is usually the norm. “We have a vibrant north Indian community, a reasonable mix of Telugu speaking and other Indian communities living here. Usually, Deepavali is celebrated with more fervour and nearly five tonnes of waste is what we collect the next day. This year, we can conclude that the rain certainly helped bring the net amount down,” said an official.

However, rains affected waste collection work. “We could easily collect physical objects such as used rockets and sparklers. Paper waste from bombs turned into a squishy, muddy mix making it difficult,” said a conservancy official. Not all were complaining though. “We have the kind of machinery which will allow us to suck the wet paper waste right off the road. The only issue this time is that because it was wet, the tonnage could be more,” an official said.