Thanjavur city corporation removed 232 tonnes of solid waste after Deepavali, deploying 700 workers and 65 vehicles across all 51 wards and major commercial streets. The post-festival volume was about 82 tonnes higher than the city’s usual daily collection of 150 tonnes, according to corporation officials quoted by Deccan Chronicle.
The waste accumulated after residents celebrated Deepavali on Saturday and Sunday, with used firecrackers forming a major part of the additional refuse. Corporation workers began clearing the waste at 4 am on Monday and continued the operation until the evening.
Officials said the corporation completed cleaning across all wards and several major bazaar streets. The locations included Gandhiji Road, Anna Road, South Main Street, East Main Street, the old bus stand and South Alangam.
The operation required a substantial mobilisation of the corporation’s sanitation workforce. A total of 700 workers were pressed into service, while 65 vehicles were used to collect and transport the waste from residential areas, public roads and commercial streets.
The 232-tonne figure represents a sharp short-term increase over the city’s normal daily solid-waste load. On an average day, the corporation handles approximately 150 tonnes across its 51 wards. The additional 82 tonnes generated after the festival placed an immediate demand on collection crews, vehicles and municipal coordination.
The scale of the cleanup also highlights the operational pressure festivals can create for urban local bodies. A sudden rise in waste generation requires municipalities to extend working hours, deploy additional personnel and move collection vehicles across multiple wards within a limited period. In Thanjavur, the corporation’s response began early on Monday and continued through the day.
The corporation’s account did not provide a separate breakdown of the waste collected from individual wards or specify how the discarded firecrackers and other solid waste were processed after collection. It also did not state whether additional temporary disposal arrangements were made for the post-Deepavali surge.
According to the officials cited in the report, the immediate clearance covered all wards as well as key bazaar streets and public-use areas. The corporation’s next operational step will be to maintain regular collection after the festival-related waste has been removed.
