No Trash Left Behind: "Clean Kandy" Campaign Sweeps Success

A Million Visitors, A Mountain of Garbage — But Kandy Fights Back!

After ten days of bustling activity for the historic Dalada Vandana pilgrimage, Kandy city has launched an ambitious cleanup drive under the banner "Clean Kandy," and it's already making waves.

With hundreds of thousands of pilgrims descending on the city to witness the sacred Tooth Relic being paraded outside its Gandhakutiya shrine — a sight unseen for over a millennium — keeping the city clean proved to be no easy feat.

Operation "Clean Kandy" Kicks Off: Massive Mobilization Across the City

Under the leadership of the Governor of the Central Province, the Dalada Vandana Operations Committee swiftly set the "Clean Kandy" program into motion. The unprecedented influx of visitors generated an alarming 35–40 tons of waste each day, turning cleanliness into a full-scale citywide mission.

"We designed 'Clean Kandy' to return the city to its former glory after the pilgrimage," said Indika Udawatta, Kandy District Secretary. “It’s a massive collaborative effort involving the Kandy Municipal Council, the Central Provincial Council, local divisional secretariats, and all provincial agencies.”

15 Zones, 24-Hour Cleanup Teams, and a Wave of Volunteers

Immediately after the conclusion of the Dalada Vandana festivities, the city was divided into 15 cleaning zones. Volunteers, municipal workers, and regional bodies worked around the clock, coordinating with the President’s Office’s "Clean Sri Lanka" initiative to tackle the staggering volume of waste.

The sheer numbers are eye-popping: Over 55,000 to 70,000 pilgrims per day visited Kandy, with some waiting in queues stretching 7 to 8 kilometers. Many spent three to five days waiting patiently for their turn to worship.

Food, Water, and... More Trash: The Hidden Cost of Hospitality

Supporting the visiting devotees was a logistical marathon of its own:

5,000 registered dansals (free food stalls) sprang up across the city.

Over 3.5 million water bottles and 500,000 yoghurts were distributed.

Heaps of rice, buns, bread, noodles, chickpeas, and even ice cream were freely handed out.

While these acts of generosity were heartwarming, the environmental aftermath was hard to ignore: an avalanche of polythene wrappers, plastic bottles, paper plates, and food waste.

In just ten days, the Kandy Municipal Council collected an astonishing 410 tons of waste. Although public announcements urged proper disposal of trash in designated bins — separating degradable, paper, and polythene waste — only a minority followed the guidelines.

Indika Abeysinghe, Kandy's Municipal Commissioner, praised the relentless efforts of city workers:

"All our workers, especially the sanitation crews, sacrificed everything — even their chance to worship — to keep Kandy clean. Their commitment deserves the highest gratitude."

From Sacred Steps to Clean Streets: Kandy Shows the Way

As "Clean Kandy" continues, the city stands as an example of how teamwork, civic responsibility, and community spirit can meet even the largest challenges.

The lesson is simple: With a million visitors or just one, keeping Kandy beautiful is everyone's responsibility.