Once the diyas dim and the sweets are gone, Mumbai wakes up to a messier aftermath. Glitter-coated gift boxes, plastic packaging, and even discarded food pile up in bins, landfills, and on the roadsides. The city, aglow for a week, chokes for months after. According to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the state generated nearly 1.2 lakh tonnes of plastic waste in 2023-24, up from 98,500 tonnes in 2018-19 — a telling sign that even as our festivals may evolve, our habits haven’t. During the week of Diwali, Mumbai generated nearly 3000 tonnes of extra garbage, raising daily waste disposal from 6900 to about 7300 metric tonnes. The BMC swiftly cleared over 2000 tonnes at landfills and is removing the remaining 1000 tonnes from transfer stations with double-shift sanitation teams.

Firecracker waste on Marine Drive promenade. PICS/ASHISH RAJE