Over 212 tonnes of additional waste cleared from the streets of Tiruchi

Heaps of Deepavali firecracker debris were a common sight on the roads of Tiruchi on Monday. | Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY Civic workers took quick action and cleared the overwhelming quantum of garbage from the streets of Tiruchi on Monday, a day after Deepavali celebrations. | Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY Deepavali celebrations left heaps of waste on the streets of Tiruchi on Monday and added about 212 tonnes to 470 tonnes of solid waste generated by the city on a normal day.Although all the 65 wards witnessed an increase in waste generation, commercial streets such as N.S.B. Road, Big Bazaar Street, Super Bazaar, Singarathope, West Boulevard Road, Nandhi Koil Street, and Chinna Kadai Street were the worst affected. A large number of roadside and seasonal vendors had set up temporary shops in these areas for Deepavali, with some unsold items, including clothes, left on the road. Gandhi Market, East Boulevard Road and other market areas saw piles of discarded vegetables and fruits.Heaps of firecracker debris, plastics used for wrapping crackers, boxes, leftover food and domestic waste were seen everywhere across several neighbourhoods such as Thillai Nagar, Raja Colony, Thennur, Woraiyur, Srirangam, Thiruvanaikovil, Varaganeri, Palakarai, Cantonment, K.K. Nagar, Karumandapam, and Bheema Nagar.According to Tiruchi Corporation sources, around 212 tonnes of additional waste was collected across the city on Monday. Of this, 176 tonnes comprised plastic and other waste collected from roadsides while the remaining 36 tonnes consisted of firecracker debris.As part of a cleaning drive, the Corporation deployed 109 sanitation workers and four heavy commercial vehicles, in addition to its routine garbage collection operations. The teams focused on major roads, commercial streets, market areas, and near temples.A senior Corporation official told The Hindu that waste on major roads had been cleared, though some interior streets in residential areas might still have been left out. The Corporation would clear all the waste generated during Deepavali and the post-festival period by Tuesday, the official added.Volunteers chip inIn Pudukkottai, volunteers of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) stepped in to clean the city early on Monday, removing waste left behind after Deepavali celebrations. Large quantities of firecracker debris, cardboard boxes and plastic bags had accumulated on major roads, including Keezha Raja Veethi, adding to the workload of sanitation workers. The volunteers collected the waste, packed it into sacks and handed it over to the Corporation’s garbage collection vehicles for disposal. Published - November 09, 2026 06:11 pm IST