PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / DEHRADUN
The amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) collected in Dehradun during the Diwali festival period remained almost unchanged this year compared to last year, with the city recording a marginal increase of just 0.1 per cent, according to Municipal Corporation of Dehradun weighbridge data. The figures indicate that despite increased festive activities, shopping and pre-Diwali cleaning, the overall waste intake remained nearly the same. The city recorded 1,905.89 tonnes of waste during the four comparable festival days in 2026, against 1,904.09 tonnes during the corresponding period in 2025. This marks an increase of only 1.8 tonnes. The daily average also remained almost identical at around 476 tonnes in both years.
However, the pattern of waste collection witnessed a shift this year. Choti Diwali recorded the highest waste intake at 527.72 tonnes on November 7, compared to 495.57 tonnes on the same festival day last year. It was also the highest single-day waste intake across both years. On Dhanteras, the city recorded 487.78 tonnes of waste this year, against 469.20 tonnes last year.
Meanwhile, waste intake on Diwali day declined by 8.8 per cent, from 430.58 tonnes in 2025 to 392.90 tonnes this year. The lower collection on Diwali day may be linked to reduced collection operations and staff availability as the festival was observed on a Sunday this year.
The three days preceding Diwali also witnessed a 2.7 per cent increase in waste collection, rising from 1,473.51 tonnes last year to 1,512.99 tonnes this year. This indicates a heavier pre-festival waste load, possibly due to household cleaning, shopping activities and increased commercial activity in markets.
The complete seven-day data for 2025, from October 17 to 23, recorded 3,127.82 tonnes of waste, with a daily average of around 446.8 tonnes. In comparison, the five-day data available for November 4 to 8 this year recorded 2,385.25 tonnes, averaging around 477.1 tonnes per day. Overall, the figures show that while the total waste intake during comparable festival days remained almost unchanged, Choti Diwali emerged as the busiest day for waste collection this year.
