Navi Mumbai civic body collects 82 tonnes of waste after Coldplay concerts

Over 20 tonnes of waste collected from the stadium were transported to NMMC’s waste management facilities, bringing the total waste collection to approximately 100 tonnes. (X/@NMMConline)

Over 100 sanitation workers were deployed each of the four days following the respective concert to manage waste collection, assisted by 150 ‘Parisar Sakhis,’ who segregated waste on-site during the event.

Intensive cleaning operations were carried out each night from 10.30 pm to 3 am under the supervision of Additional Commissioner Sunil Pawar and Deputy Commissioner Dr Ajay Gadade. “Teams from Nerul, Belapur, Vashi, and Turbhe divisions worked in coordination to ensure thorough cleaning of roads and public spaces near the stadium,” said Gadade.

NMMC Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde had declared the concerts a ‘zero-waste event’, aiming to minimise environmental impact and maintain the city’s cleanliness. Waste segregation and disposal were carried out systematically, reflecting meticulous planning and execution by the civic body.

Though NMMC’s swift response ensured that public spaces were spotless by morning, some activists in Navi Mumbai are upset with the attendees because of the scale at which the waste was generated. Environmentalists expressed concern about the large-scale garbage generation and said the audience should have been equally enthusiastic about the responsible disposal of trash.

“The audience was elite and had spent thousands of rupees on entry tickets, and the 100-tonne garbage reflects badly on their concern for the Swachh Bharat,” said NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar.