Large quantities of ‘firecracker waste’ were cleaned up after the series of street processions and at the participating shrines each day during the festival, Phuket City Deputy Mayor Suphot La-ongphet explained.
When strips of firecrackers were set alight, not all of the firecrackers detonated, and the strips, believed fully spent, were discarded.
The unspent firecrackers still had unused gunpowder in them, thus posing the fire risk once the waste was dumped at the landfill, he added.
Mr Suphot visited the landfill to discuss with officials from the Waste Disposal Group at Phuket City Municipality’s Engineering Division on how to dispose of the large amount of firecracker waste.
The problem is how to prevent the leftover gunpowder from being ignited and starting a fire at the landfill, especially once the rains have gone and the weather turns hot, Mr Suphot said.
Officials have been ordered to monitor the landfill closely to prevent any incidents, he noted, but other than keeping watch, very little could be done.
Mr Suphot also noted that the solid waste disposal facility at Saphan Hin was struggling to keep up with the high volume of trash, processing about 1,100 tons of waste daily, while its incinerators can only handle 700 tons.
The situation is worsened by the ageing incinerator, which has led to an accumulation of over 10,000 tons of waste, he said.
With the tourist season approaching, waste levels are expected to rise to 1,500 tons per day, creating further pressure on the city’s waste management system, Mr Suphot said.