Chennai Firecracker Waste Collection Crosses 406 Tonnes; Valasaravakkam Tops

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has collected 406.26 metric tonnes (MT) of firecracker waste across the city following the Deepavali celebrations. Valasaravakkam Zone recorded the highest collection, with 69.94 MT, according to official data.

The firecracker waste collection drive was carried out across all 15 GCC zones between November 7 and 9. Based on previous years` trends, officials expect the total quantity of waste collected to reach approximately 600 tonnes.

On Monday, November 9, sanitation workers collected 256.34 MT of firecracker waste, compared with 145.87 MT on Sunday and 4.05 MT on November 7.

Chennai Firecracker Waste Collection: Zone-Wise Details

Valasaravakkam recorded the highest firecracker waste collection at 69.94 MT, followed by Teynampet with 41.31 MT, Tiruvottiyur with 39.79 MT and Kodambakkam with 38.28 MT. Ambattur recorded the lowest collection at 6.67 MT.

GCC Deploys Thousands of Sanitation Workers

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran inspected the firecracker waste collection activities at a vehicle yard in Ward 125 of Teynampet Zone.

He said that approximately 200 tonnes of waste had been collected by Monday morning. The collected materials are being segregated into two categories: burnt and unburnt firecracker waste. Both categories are being transported to appropriate facilities for scientific disposal.

Around 19,275 sanitation workers from the morning shift have been deployed, along with 600 additional personnel, to speed up the Chennai cleaning operations.

The Corporation has also deployed 350 tipper lorries, earthmovers, Bobcat machines and approximately 5,000 regular vehicles.

However, rainfall has made the firecracker waste removal process more challenging, as the waste has become stuck to road surfaces.

Scientific Disposal of Firecracker Waste

The Greater Chennai Corporation is following separate procedures for disposing of burnt and unburnt firecracker waste.

Burnt firecracker waste: Burnt crackers, wrapping paper, cardboard boxes and other combustible materials without chemical residues are collected separately and transported to the 50-tonne-per-day (TPD) incinerator facility at Kodungaiyur (KDG) for scientific processing and disposal.

Unburnt and half-burnt crackers: These materials may contain hazardous chemicals, including sulphur and gunpowder. They are classified as hazardous waste and transported to a specialised disposal facility at Gummidipoondi.

Chennai Air Quality Improves After Overnight Rain

The GCC Commissioner also highlighted the impact of Deepavali celebrations on Chennai`s air quality.

Air pollution levels increased on Sunday night, with pollution peaking at around 10 pm. However, overnight rainfall helped wash out pollutants and imimprove air quality.

Chennai`s average Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to approximately 230 on Monday morning, with conditions gradually moving towards normal levels later in the day.

The Greater Chennai Corporation continues its post-Deepavali cleaning drive to remove the remaining firecracker waste and restore cleanliness across all parts of the city.