Civic workers clear 14,447 MT rain debris in Chennai in 3 days

CHENNAI: Civic workers have been on a war footing across the city clearing debris and garbage collected by the recent downpour and subsequent waterlogging. Their mission that started on Monday, and carried on into Wednesday, saw as much as 14,447 metric tonnes of waste, including garden waste.

The largest quantity of 4,941 MT waste was cleared on Wednesday, followed by 4,917 MT gathered on Monday and 4,589 MT cleared on Tuesday. Zone 4 had the maximum amount of 627 MT waste.

The garbage collected consisted of beds, mattresses, sofa, garden waste and mixed waste.

Workers of Urbaser Sumeet, which is a solid waste management concessionaire of the Greater Chennai Corporation, operating in zones 9 to 15, deployed around 2,600 battery-operated vehicles to clear over 600 tonnes of waste from Chennai’s streets. The team deployed additional resources, including 50 extra two-tonne tipper lorries and 11 ten-tonne trucks, clearing more than 10,050 bins across the city. Despite the floods, 98% percent of the company’s 12,000 workers reported to work.

Many workers, whose homes in North Chennai were flooded, travelled to the southern areas to assist in clean-up efforts.

Their knowledge of streets and drainage systems played a vital role in clearing blockages under the guidance of GCC and senior staff. In Thiruvanmiyur, as part of Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), the team collected 100 tonnes of waste, including furniture and garden debris. More than 60 Battery Operated Vehicles and 50 sweepers worked for hours to clear the garbage.