Lakhs of women gathered here for the Attukal pongala festival on Sunday.

Just like after any public gathering, the city was left all messy and stinky due to big chunk of waste by the afternoon and then the Corporation entered the scene.

The City Corporation employees clad in blue and khakhi removed all the garbage by late night as they promised.

The cleaning process started soon after the ritual concluded by Sunday afternoon in the 20-wards which were declared as the festival zone.

Considering the huge amount of garbage generated during the festival days, the Corporation had employed 2,470 employees, including 1,750 temporary and 720 permanent staff for cleaning work.

The organic and plastic waste generated were taken away to pre-identified spots in 43 tipper lorries.

“It was impossible for us to remove the garbage during the daytime as there was heavy rush.

“The cleaning process will be completed by late night.

“The waste will be taken to various locations and buried in waste pits,” said Mayor K Chandrika here on Sunday evening.

However, the Mayor refused to reveal about where the garbage will be disposed.

The Corporation authorities had earlier announced that voluntary organisations which offer food to the devotees during the festival should process the garbage they generate by themselves.

They had also directed that plastic disposable cups, plastic and thermocol plates should not be used.

However, many organisations and small tea stalls and shops in the city failed to follow this and plastic cups, plates and banned polythene bags below 30 microns remained scattered on the city roads and temple premises adding to the trouble of the cleaning staff.