The day after, Diwali remnants everywhere

CUTTACK: City-dwellers woke up to roads littered with remnants of crackers and  pungent air with harmful chemicals on Thursday, the morning after Diwali, with civic body authorities admitting to around 25 to 35 per cent surge in the quantity of solid waste produced on the auspicious day. With some waste-lifting machines lying defunct, only 90 Mega Tonne (MT) of the waste could be cleared on Thursday. However, CMC officials claimed that its sweepers worked round the clock to ensure a litter-free city. However, despite all efforts the amount of waste generated during the festival was overwhelming. City Health Officer S Gadanayak said everyday, the city generates around 140 to 160 MT of waste with the amount increasing by over 20 per cent during the festivity. “The exact amount of firecracker waste generated in the last two to three days can only be ascertained in a day or two as the litter could not be collected entirely from all parts of the city,” he said. Cracker waste material contains chemicals like bromine, nitrate and potassium. “That is why we have directed the sanitation workers to segregate the waste properly,” the officer said. However, with no clear policy on segregation of toxic wastes, the sweepers usually dump the wastes in landfills at Chakradharpur, around 15 km from the city. This apart, there has been an increase in plastic waste generated during the last week, with a sizeable contribution from shops selling crackers.  Sources said with a slide in the sale of firecrackers over the years, a subsequent dip in the volume of waste generated is expected. “But the reality, besides the cracker waste, polythene packets and sheets are found littered in large numbers all across the city,” a CMC official said, adding that the shopkeepers do not clean the litter while dismantling the makeshift shops. The maximum waste was produced in the market areas. “Every year we make efforts to ensure that people avoid using plastic. But it never makes any difference. People need to realise that they are generating more waste for the city. The situation is worse the day after Diwali,” said Gadanayak.