Nagpur: The joyous celebrations of Diwali, marked by the bursting of firecrackers and increased shopping, led to a significant rise in waste generation across the city.
On October 31 and November 1, Nagpur Municipal Corporation‘s sanitation workers tirelessly swept and collected more than 200 tonnes of garbage from streets and markets. According to chief sanitation officer Dr Gajendra Mahalle, around 90 workers focused their efforts on cleaning markets during the night, while over 5,500 workers were active during the day.
The extended two-day Diwali celebrations, with many residents lighting firecrackers on both days, contributed to the excessive waste. Municipal authorities noted that the variety of firecrackers used not only added to the noise but also significantly increased litter on the streets.
Typically, NMC collects approximately 77 metric tonnes of waste daily from markets and about 64 metric tonnes through street sweeping. However, during the recent Diwali celebrations, the volume of waste surged manifolds. The bustling markets in areas like Itwari, Mahal, Gandhibagh, Sakkardara, Medical Square, Dhantoli, Dharampeth, Shankar Nagar, Ram Nagar, Sitabuldi Main Road, and Ravi Nagar were crowded with shoppers, leading to paper boxes and plastic bags littering the streets.
Additionally, the remnants of firecrackers further contributed to the litter particularly in narrow bylanes. The combined efforts of the municipal sanitation workers ensured that over 200 metric tonnes of waste from both markets and road sweeping were collected in just two days.
