The Madurai Corporation launched night time clean-up operation at important places on Friday midnight.
Now conservancy workers will be out at vantage points, which people throng in large numbers, at 9 p.m. every day, and start collecting garbage and cleaning roads till 1 a.m.
Fifty sanitary workers have been appointed on contract basis for this purpose. A garbage collection vehicle has been pressed into service for night hours.
The clean-up operation covers important places such as Periyar bus stand, Netaji Road, Town Hall Road, four Chithirai and Masi Streets, the surroundings of Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, T.P.K. Road, Railway Station area, West Veli Street, Bharathiar Commercial Complex and West Marret Street. Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa, who formally launched the night operation at Periyar bus stand, said the Corporation started it after discussing the plan in the last month’s Council meeting.
“The primary focus will be on places visited by a large number of tourists and pilgrims,” he noted.
Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal was also present.
City Health Officer Yasodha Mani said the night operation was introduced in the city at the right time since the festival season threw up a lot of sanitation challenges.
“During daytime, clean-up could not be done to a desired level due to the traffic. It will be easy for the sanitary workers if they work at night,” she said.
A Corporation official said night conservancy became important for a growing city like Madurai which had an influx of pilgrims and tourists. If the roads and public places were cleaned at night, they would look neat by the time people wake up, the official added.
After seeing the result, the Corporation will extend the operation to other places such as Maatuthavani bus stand, Goripalayam, Government Rajaji Hospital and Anna bus stand areas.
