Sanitation workers faced a tough challenge clearing the debris alongside daily domestic refuse
Kolkata: Following Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) saw a sharp spike in solid waste generation, driven primarily by remnants of heavy firecrackers, burnt shells, earthen tubri pots and other fireworks scattered across the city’s streets. The sudden surge was heavily concentrated in neighbourhoods that police stations identified as the city’s worst noise-rule violators. In south Kolkata, areas including Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Behala, Golf Garden, Ballygunge, Garia, Garfa, Haltu, Kasba, and stretches along the EM Bypass saw rampant cracker bursting. In north and central Kolkata, Maniktala, Kankurgachi, Beliaghata, Girish Park, Burrabazar, College Street, Amherst Street, and Wellington were among the areas that generated large volumes of cracker wastes. Meanwhile, waste management experts have raised an alarm over the unsegregated disposal of cracker debris. Since burnt shells and fireworks often retain unexploded residual chemicals, dumping them together with general waste poses a severe fire hazard and risk of explosions.