Mumbai: After five days of high-pitched agitation over the Maratha reservation issue at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swung into action with an extensive overnight sanitation drive to restore normalcy in the protest-hit area and its adjoining civic areas by Wednesday morning.
Over 200 Sanitation Workers On Duty Overnight
The agitation, led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, drew thousands of protestors from across Maharashtra to South Mumbai, severely impacting traffic and civic functioning. With the protest concluding on its fifth day, municipal authorities deployed massive manpower and resources to clean up the stretch. According to officials, nearly 200 sanitation workers worked relentlessly through the night of September 2, continuing until the early hours of September 3, to bring the grounds and nearby roads back to their original condition.
In total, more than 1,000 civic workers were pressed into service across two shifts, ensuring round-the-clock cleanliness at the protest site. To cater to the large gathering during the stir, the BMC had already arranged for additional public conveniences, including 100 mobile toilets, taking the overall count to nearly 450. The corporation also erected towers with 40 floodlights to provide adequate illumination for the crowd and the cleaning staff operating late into the night.
For sanitation, suction machines and jet spray systems were deployed to maintain hygiene around toilet facilities. At least 1,500 plastic garbage bags and dozens of bins were distributed across the protest zone to aid waste collection. After the demonstration concluded, roads were washed thoroughly with water, while 16 different types of waste management vehicles, including compactors and skid steer loaders, were deployed for street cleaning.
To prevent health hazards, civic staff also scattered 100 kilograms of disinfectant and insecticide powder across the site to check the spread of flies and mosquitoes. Drinking water arrangements had been a major part of the BMCтАЩs responsibility during the protest, with 26 water tankers, including mini tankers, stationed in the vicinity.
The five-day agitation had crippled parts of MumbaiтАЩs southern administrative hub, with security tightened around Mantralaya and transport services facing diversions. While the protest highlighted the persistent demand for the Maratha quota, it also created logistical challenges for the city. Once the agitators left, BMCтАЩs swift and large-scale sanitation efforts ensured that Azad Maidan and its surroundings were restored to routine civic life within hours.
