Sanitation workers in the city cleared about 406 tonnes of firecracker waste in three days, nearly double the volume (225 tonnes) collected in the same period last year.Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) commissioner G S Sameeran said the civic body had been collecting firecracker waste since Saturday morning. “Disposal of the waste is proving a challenge after the celebrations due to rain and poor air quality,” he said. GCC collected 406 tonnes till 3pm on Monday. This includes four tonnes on Saturday and 145 tonnes on Sunday.This year’s collection is already higher than the total number for each of the previous four years. Sameeran said corporation expects around 600 tonnes to be collected by the weekend.GCC engaged 600 sanitation workers in addition to the regular 19,275 morning shift staff. It also deployed about 350 additional vehicles and machines, including tipper lorries, earthmovers and Bobcat loaders. The civic body had asked residents to keep cracker waste in separate bags and hand it over to sanitation workers. It urged people not to mix the waste with household garbage or throw it on roads and public spaces. “Compliance with segregation among the public is poor. But we are expecting a better response in the coming years,” Sameeran said.Cracker waste collected by GCC after Diwali2021: 138 tonnes in two days2022: 270 tonnes in four days2023: 210 tonnes in three days2024: 213 tonnes in two days2025: 225 tonnes in three days2026: 406 tonnes in three days (as of 3 pm Monday), with about 600 tonnes expected by the weekend
