Several Chennai zones report around 50% reduction in cracker waste this year

Greater Chennai Corporation sees significant decrease in cracker waste collection this Deepavali, with some zones registering 50% reduction.

Many zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have recorded a decrease in cracker waste collection this Deepavali compared to last year.

Several zones have registered around a 50% reduction. Some wards have seen a significant reduction as well.

For instance, around 20 tonnes of cracker waste was collected on Deepavali in 2023 in a zone in the southern part of the city. This year on festival day, only 9 tonnes of cracker waste was collected. This year, the collection between October 30 and November 1 was around 13 tonnes in the zone, while the civic body collected 30 tonnes in the first three days of the festival season last year.

According to the GCC, the city had generated 213 tonnes of cracker waste by Friday evening. While Sholinganallur recorded the least with just 3.73 tonnes, Valasaravakkam zone recorded the most with 21 tonnes.

According to officials of Urbaser Sumeet, by 3 p.m. on November 1, conservancy workers had collected 106.80 tonnes of cracker waste across seven zones in the southern part of the city. Teynampet generated 20.50 tonnes, Kodambakkam 18.50 tonnes, Valasaravakkam 21.69 tonnes, Alandur 13.33 tonnes, Adyar 15.24 tonnes, Perungudi 13.81 tonnes, and Sholinganallur 3.73 tonnes.

“With safety measures ramped up, we mobilised extra vehicles across zones 9 to 15, ensuring every street and alley was cleared fast. In 2023, cracker waste disposal from November 11 to 18 reached 274.96 tonnes. Our targeted approach this year shows improvement in efficiency, with timely collections and a reduced environmental footprint,” an official said.