Several protesters volunteered to sweep the litter and collect the waste in garbage bags. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)The streets that were filled with thousands of protesters over the past five weeks lay deserted, save for the yellow police barricades. There were no slogans being raised. The graffiti that had covered the walls was gone, replaced by fresh coats of paint. The piles of trash that had lined the footpaths and roads had disappeared.By Sunday morning, Jantar Mantar was back to its old self.Hours after the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) called off its month-long protest on Saturday night, following the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) launched an extensive clean-up drive, working through the night to restore the protest site.Also Read | Who kept the Jantar Mantar protest running? Meet the 12-member team Cleaning work going on a day after CJP protest over, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Dr Ankita Rai, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the NDMC, said 70 sanitation workers were deployed from 10 pm on Saturday to 5 am on Sunday, and 35 more workers were deployed later.“Around 40 tonnes of waste was cleared last night and 20 tonnes this morning. At midnight, we deployed an earthmover to remove the residual waste near the stage area and near Kerala House, which was not accessible to us when the protests were going on. We wet-cleaned the area throughout to remove the smell which usually arises when the area is enclosed for so long,” said Rai.Apart from the earthmover, the operation was carried out with eight auto-tippers, two heavy trucks, and three high-pressure jetting machines, according to NDMC officials.NDMC vice-chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal was at the site through the night, personally supervising the cleanliness, waste removal, repair and restoration works.Story continues below this ad Around 40 tonnes of waste was cleared on Saturday night and 20 tonnes on Sunday morning. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)“The operation was carried out jointly by the Health & Sanitation, Civil Engineering and Horticulture departments. From last night until today, more than 500 officers and employees participated in the drive, undertaking cleaning, washing, repair and restoration of roads, footpaths, central verges, green belts, walls and other public spaces,” he said.Rai said Jantar Mantar was cleared in a quick and efficient manner to open up the site to both tourists and residents. “Intense cleaning, washing and restoration works were undertaken rapidly at Jantar Mantar, Tolstoy Road, Sansad Marg, Jai Singh Road, Janpath and surrounding areas of Connaught Place so that we can open up the site to the public as soon as possible,” she said.Chahal added: “Our officers and employees worked continuously throughout the night and during the day to ensure the public faced no inconvenience.” Cleaning work going on a day after CJP protest over, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Apart from civic body officials, several protesters too had stayed back last night, volunteering to sweep the litter and collect the waste in garbage bags. “Cleaning up the mess that we’ve created is our responsibility,” said Tushar Mehra, 26, who planned on staying until the waste was cleared at the site where he had spent more than 15 days.