Ahmedabad Rath Yatra Generates Only 35 Metric Tons of Waste as Citizens Join Cleanliness Drive

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad’s 149th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra generated only about 35 metric tons of waste along its 22-km route, with the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) crediting strong public participation and awareness campaigns for the reduced waste generation.

Anticipating large crowds for the July 16 Rath Yatra, the AMC’s Solid Waste Management Department implemented an extensive sanitation plan. The route was divided into four sectors, with officers from all seven civic zones overseeing operations. More than 1,000 sanitation workers and over 40 Class I, II and III officers were deployed to clean the route before, during and after the procession.

Dedicated litter-picking teams followed the procession, while collected waste—including flowers, plastics and other non-recyclables—was segregated for processing. Plastic bottles collected during the event, with support from NGOs, charitable trusts and social organisations, will be recycled at the city’s Material Recovery Facility.

Ahmedabad Rath Yatra Generates 35 Metric Tons of Waste; Citizens Join Cleanliness Drive https://t.co/E1KJDa7N2b pic.twitter.com/gZTsltLctI

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To manage waste efficiently, the AMC deployed 25 door-to-door collection vehicles, eight e-rickshaws, six compactors, eight closed-body waste collection vehicles and four mechanised road sweepers. More than 100 vehicles in the procession were provided with garbage collection bags. Additionally, 10 sewage tankers maintained around 30 public toilets along the route.

After the Rath Yatra concluded at Saraspur, dining and community kitchen areas were washed with phenyl and disinfectant, while cleaning operations across the entire 22-km route continued until late at night after the three chariots returned to the Jagannath Temple.

The civic body also conducted awareness campaigns promoting waste segregation, discouraging littering and the use of banned single-use plastics through tableaux and cleanliness mascots.

AMC said the significantly lower waste generation reflected the success of its “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” campaign and thanked citizens for helping keep the Rath Yatra route clean.