Collector K. Tharpagaraj inspecting the mass clean-up drive by sanitary workers, who collected around 450 metric tonnes of garbage generated on Maha Deepam in Tiruvannamalai town. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Around 450 metric tonnes of garbage generated on Maha Deepam day have been removed from Tiruvannamalai town during a two-day mass cleaning drive by Tiruvannamalai Corporation, restoring cleanliness in the temple town. Officials of the Corporation said that a large workforce of 2,300 sanitary staff, who are mostly women workers, were roped for the mammoth exercise, which was started on Thursday, a day before Maha Deepam as the town witnessed steady flow of pilgrims. “Sanitary workers from extended areas of the Corporation were also roped for the purpose. In the two-day drive, they collected around 450 tonnes of wastes, which is the highest volume generated on Maha Deepam so far,” S. Selva Balaji, Commissioner, Tiruvannamalai Corporation, told The Hindu. Apart from sanitary staff from Tiruvannamalai Corporation, civic workers from big municipalities like Ambur, Arcot, Arani, Arakkonam, Polur, Vandavasi, Vaniyambadi and Gudiyatham were also roped …