Ganeshotsav In Pune 2024: 200 SWaCH Waste Pickers At The Forefront To Conserve Nature And Culture

Pune, 12 September 2024: SWaCH waste pickers enter into the 15th edition of Nirmalya to Nisarga Initiative, which has been instrumental in collecting segregated votive offerings during the Ganpati Festival. This year, over 200 waste pickers from across the city will be engaging with citizens at 45 prime immersion locations in Pune as well as the newly included villages on the 12th and 17th of September to ensure that nature thrives amid the vibrant celebrations.

The “Nirmalya to Nisarga” initiative, which began in 2009, has consistently seen waste pickers collect over 100 tons of Nirmalya for composting managed by PMC each season. This process involves retrieving votive offerings such as flowers, leaves, and durva, ensuring they return to nature through environmentally friendly means. In collaboration with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), SWaCH waste pickers strive to respect cultural sensitivities while ensuring environmental conservation. The program also highlights the long standing partnership between citizens and waste pickers, who collect waste from every doorstep in the city every day, stand unwaveringly alongside citizens every year during the city’s biggest festival to ensure cleanliness.

Yet, SWaCH waste pickers await a long term contract renewal with essential demands . On August 30th, waste pickers protested to protect their livelihood due to delays in renewing their long-term contract, which is crucial for security and continuity of service. Despite these uncertainties, the waste pickers remain dedicated to their mission and will uphold their commitment to ensuring an environmentally conscious and culturally respectful celebration.

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Saru Waghmare, Board Member of SWaCH, reflected on their unique relationship with citizens and their current challenges, saying, “When we visit homes to collect waste, citizens invite us and make us a part of their Ganpati celebrations and offer us prasad. These moments are a testament to our identity as fellow citizens of Pune. Despite the ongoing delays in renewing our long-term contract, which are essential for our work security, we are committed to continuing our work. We understand that if we were to take a day off during the festival, the city would be burdened with heaps of waste. With this sense of responsibility, we have been faithfully attending immersion ghats for 16 years to collect Nirmalya. This year, too, we appeal to Pune’s citizens to contribute to our mission by handing over Nirmalya separately to SWaCH waste pickers. Please ensure that no other waste is mixed with it. Together, we are committed to safeguarding the environment and culture of our beloved city.”

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SWaCH waste pickers will be stationed at 45 designated locations on the 12th and 17th of September to collect Nirmalya. SWaCH cooperative and PMC jointly appeal to all citizens to refrain from disposing of Nirmalya in open areas, on bridges, or in water bodies within the city. Instead, citizens are encouraged to entrust their Nirmalya to SWaCH waste pickers, reinforcing the shared commitment to protect Pune’s Nature and Culture.

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