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Chennaities gave a rousing reception to the air show hosted by the Indian Air Force on Sunday. But they also left behind a lot of trash. Nearly 21 tonnes of trash, including water bottles and juice bottles, were left behind by people after watching a dazzling performance by the IAF pilots. It is said that over 15 lakh people attended the show.
Mahmood Sait, CEO of Urbaser Sumeet, a joint venture between Spain-headquartered Urbaser and India’s Sumeet Group, and his team of over 100 employees spent the entire night ensuring that Marina Beach and the roads leading to the beach were free from litter. On Monday morning, the entire beach stretch was clean, with hardly any evidence that so many tonnes of trash were there.
After cleaning | Photo Credit:
Since Sunday, about 120 workers have been clearing the trash at the venue and working continuously until 6 p.m. After that, another 100-plus workers were on the night shift clearing all the leftovers, he told the business line.
He said another 18 tonnes were collected from major roads like Radhakrishnan Salai, Natesan Salai, and Walajah Road and from streets connecting to the beach.
A worker cleaning the bin on Sunday night
While the quantum may seem small, the volume was high—a vehicle that can load up to 18 tonnes could carry only two tonnes because of the size of the trash.
One of the major challenges was clearing the food waste scattered throughout, especially on the stretch between Lighthouse and Anna Square.
Workers busy collecting the trash at the Marina Beach
“Trash bins were kept all around the venue; our workers were carrying bags to collect the trash and we were continuously making announcements requesting people not to litter and put the trash on the bins or give them to the workers. However, this did not happen,” he said.
He said that the plastic wastes were sent by large vehicles to the cement factory at Dalmiapuram.
The air show returned to the city after a gap of 21 years. Indian Air Force Day is usually held in Delhi. But for the last two years, the show has been shifted away from Delhi so that the public can see the IAF’s prowess. Last year, it was held in Prayagraj, and the previous year, it was held in Chandigarh.
The show by 72 aircraft between Lighthouse and Chennai Port was led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and witnessed, among others, by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh and a host of dignitaries from the state government and the Defence.
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