Pune generates 300 tonnes more garbage a day over Diwali despite residents leaving town

The amount of garbage collected daily in Pune has gone up during Diwali, even though a large number of people leave the city during the holidays. On normal days, 2,700 to 2,800 tonnes of waste is lifted from the city every day, but between Dussehra and Diwali the figure reached 3,000 to 3,100 tonnes. This means the city's daily waste has risen by about 300 tonnes.

According to the solid waste management department of the Pune Municipal Corporation, daily waste during the festival has risen by about 200 to 300 tonnes compared with normal days.

The main reason for the increase is said to be the cleaning and repair of homes before Diwali. Festival shopping and decorations have also added to the waste. Waste from firecrackers is part of it too: discarded firecracker paper and related material are included in the additional garbage.

During the Diwali holidays, traffic in the city thins out and crowds in markets and on roads shrink. Even so, the waste keeps rising. Salaried workers, students and many families go to their home towns for the break. But those who stay on in Pune give their homes a thorough clean in preparation for Diwali, and a large quantity of discarded material comes out in the process.

As part of the annual clean-up, people clear out unused items accumulated in their homes, old furniture, broken electronic appliances and other things fit to be thrown away. Shopping was heavier during the festival and discarded decoration material was added, which pushed the quantity of waste up further.

Santosh Warule, head of the corporation's solid waste management department, said: "Waste generally increases during Dussehra and Diwali. On normal days the city generates about 2,700 to 2,800 tonnes of waste every day. But from Dussehra to Diwali this quantity becomes 3,000 to 3,100 tonnes. Despite this increase, sanitation workers are giving priority to keeping the city's roads clean."