In an intensive post-Diwali clean-up, Madurai corporation cleared 1,690 tonne of waste from across the city that had piled up over the last three days. More than 4,000 sanitation workers were deployed to handle the post-festival waste. Trichy corporation engaged around 2,600 sanitation workers to clear 691 tonne of waste from commercial and residential areas on Friday. Cracker waste alone accounted for 211 tonne, which was moved to transfer stations to prevent fires at Ariyamangalam dump yard.

Madurai corporation officials said a fleet of 478 vehicles including 428 light commercial vehicles, 15 dumper lorries, 15 compactor lorries, 3 tipper lorries, 2 JCB machines and 15 tractors assisted the efforts. Corporation commissioner Dinesh Kumar said 4,051 sanitation workers worked tirelessly to collect and transport the waste to the solid waste management facility at Vellakkal. A senior official said that on a typical day, the corporation handles about 900 to 950 tonne of waste. During Diwali, 994 tonne was collected on October 30, 326 tonne on Oct 31, and 370 tonne by 6 am on Nov 1.

Sanitation officials said Trichy city's daily waste generation is typically 470-480 tonne. However, large amounts of plastic waste was dumped in commercial areas, including Big Bazaar Street, NSB Road, Singarathope and Teppakulam. The cleanliness drive involved around 1,600 workers from SR Vedhaah, a private agency managing waste collection, along with 1,000 permanent sanitation workers. The city deployed 251 mini waste trucks, tipper trucks, and heavy machinery to clear firecracker waste.

Madurai officials said the clean-up was challenging due to the recent rain. "Many streets were filled with slush, but thankfully, the civic body had small-sized JCB machines that helped clear the waste. We then disposed it in dumper bins," Arun Kumar, a sanitary worker, said.

Residents' associations said there was a fall in the amount of cracker waste compared to previous years. "In most of the main roads, the waste generated was less compared to last year," Muthu Lakshmi, secretary of Meenambalpuram Residents' Association, said. "We collected about 1,500 tonne in three days last year, but this year it increased slightly," a senior corporation official said.

While plastic and packaging materials will be sold to scrap dealers, inert waste will be repurposed as refuse-derived fuel at nearby cement plants. Kishore Mohan, operations head of SR Vedhaah, said rain slowed down cleaning in Trichy. "But it also helped dampen chemicals, reducing fire hazards," he said. He said cracker waste on roads was higher than last year.