Marina Beach in Chennai saw massive crowds on Kaanum Pongal, on Saturday, as families gathered for the final day of the Pongal festival.
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
A total of 160.83 tonnes of solid waste was removed from the beach stretches under the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) between January 14 and January 16 during the Pongal festival period.
Marina Beach saw the largest share of waste removed, with 116.17 tonnes cleared over the three days. Besant Nagar recorded 20.97 tonnes, Thiruvanmiyur 9.02 tonnes, Palavakkam 6.96 tonnes, Neelankarai 4.34 tonnes and Thiruvottiyur 3.37 tonnes.
According to a press release, sanitation workers and mechanised equipment are deployed daily on a rotational basis at Marina, Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Palavakkam, Neelangarai, Akkarai and Tiruvottiyur beaches to maintain cleanliness. In view of increased public footfall during the festival, additional workers and machines were deployed from January 14 to carry out intensified cleaning operations, the release said.
Dumping of waste, including plastic waste and food leftovers, in beach areas is prohibited, and visitors and tourists must dispose of waste only in designated bins, and cooperate with sanitation efforts by GCC.
Bhogi
As much as 154.17 tonnes of unused materials were collected from the public across the city between January 12 and 14 as part of Bhogi festival-related measures to prevent open burning of waste and environmental pollution. Items such as old clothes, tyres, rubber tubes, plastic, paper waste, cardboard, wood waste, metal scrap and electronic waste were collected by sanitation workers, while public awareness messages were disseminated through loudspeakers mounted on battery-operated three-wheelers.
In this drive, Tiruvottiyur recorded the highest collection of unused materials, with 25.43 tonnes collected between January 12 and January 14, followed by Madhavaram with 24.89 tonnes. Adyar reported 14.16 tonnes, while Manali accounted for 11.72 tonnes, and Anna Nagar 11.82 tonnes. Ambattur recorded the least collection at 0.50 tonne. Tondiarpet reported 1.23 tonnes, and Kodambakkam 1.96 tonnes, according to the press release.
Household bulk waste
Bulk waste, including old household items, was also collected and disposed of separately. On January 17, waste weighing 46.94 tonnes was collected from 94 locations and transported to the Kodungaiyur incineration facility, where it was scientifically processed, the release added.
A weekly bulk waste collection service has been in operation since October 11, 2025. Under the scheme, old sofas, mattresses, wooden furniture and clothes are collected from residents every Saturday, based on prior intimation. So far, 707.50 tonnes of bulk waste have been collected from 1,861 persons over 15 Saturdays. The release added that residents can register for the service through the “Namma Chennai” mobile application, by calling 1913, or by sending details to the designated WhatsApp number.
Published – January 18, 2026 12:29 am IST
