60,000 sanitation workers collecting 8,000 tonnes of cracker wastes in Tamil Nadu

The Chennai Corporation had sensitised its residents on cracker waste disposal, and also disturbed gunny bags in all the wards to collect and segregate the cracker waste.

Two lorries — exclusively for 45 units in all 15 zones — have been deployed in the disposal work.

Hailing the work of conservation workers, the Corporation Commissioner J Radhakrishnan, principal secretary to the government, said that the workers were pressed into action from the midnight of Deepavali and they are working on a shift basis to keep the city clean.

“Though we sensitised the residents on the collection of cracker waste, we see huge deposits at some places. Special attention is being given in those areas to collect the cracker wastes,” he said.

The commissioner added that the collected cracker wastes would be taken to the waste yard at Gummidipoondi in gunny bags and treated as per the norms of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

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Across Tamil Nadu

A woman conservation worker collecting the cracker wastes

In the Tiruchy City Corporation limits, nearly 105 tonnes of cracker waste has been disposed of.

In Thanjavur, 350 conservation workers cleaned cracker waste. According to the Thanjavur corporation, around 300 tonnes of waste was collected.

An official from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board said that nearly 8,000 metric tonnes of cracker waste are being collected in Tamil Nadu.

The officer said that the plastic covers, cardboard boxes, and cracker papers were the main waste materials that were being collected.

“Since it involves chemicals, all these wastes will be destroyed accordingly in the respective waste yards in the districts,” he said.

S Sathish, a conservation worker, who was deployed at Zone 7 of the Chennai corporation to clean cracker waste, told South First that he had been working from 2 am.

cracker wastes being taken to waste yard

“We separate the waste into two modules. We fill all the solid wastes like burnt cracker papers, boards and plastics separately. There are a lot of sweet boxes too. We pick them in gunny bags,” Sathish said.

T Rani, a conservation worker in Zone 3, said: “Though we have been given gloves and masks, the chemicals from the burnt crackers cause difficulty in breathing.”

She added: “We have been dealing with this disposal since the wee hours. It has been nearly five hours now, and we still have that chemical smell on us.”

She also said: “Before bursting crackers on streets, people should also think of the way to dispose of it. At least they can collect and keep the cracker wastes in one place, instead of scattering those wastes on the street” she said.

Also read: Blasts at 2 firecracker units in Tamil Nadu kill 14 people

In Madurai

In Madurai, 4,097 conservation workers were deployed to remove the cracker waste. Nearly 200 metric tonnes of cracker waste have been collected in the Madurai district.

However, there were complaints in the district that conservation workers were not provided with proper safety materials like gloves or masks.

A woman sanitation worker, requesting anonymity said that not all the workers were given gloves and masks.

“We were carrying the wastes in our bare hands. If we complain or raise the issue, we will be targeted by the officials,” she said.

The Madurai Corporation mayor was not available for comment.