Conservancy workers directed to collect cracker waste separately

CHENNAI: To prevent hazardous cracker waste from reaching the landfills, the Greater Chennai Corporation has directed the field level conservancy officials and workers to collect the waste from the streets separately.

According to a solid waste management department official of the Corporation, the conservancy workers would collect and store the cracker waste separately, and send them to the hazardous waste processing unit run by Tamil Nadu Waste Management Limited in Gummidipoondi.

“A few days ago, we had conducted a training session for the field level officials on handling cracker waste safely. Representatives of Tamil Nadu Waste Management Limited participated in the meeting and explained about collecting and processing cracker waste. Strict instructions have been issued not to mix it with regular garbage,” the official said.

As per the Chennai Corporation data, the civic workers had collected around 95 tonnes of cracker waste after last year’s Deepavali. Similarly, the civic body had collected 85 tonnes of plastic waste in 2018.

When asked whether the civic body would deploy additional manpower to remove cracker waste, the official said that the civic body has around 19,000 conservancy workers, including permanent and contract employees.

Though it is a government holiday on Monday, all conservancy workers would work to remove the cracker waste as well as regular garbage, the official said, adding: “We have also asked Ramky Enviro Engineers to use additional vehicles to collect and transport cracker waste to Gummidipoondi.”