‘Chalk of shame’ Pune Ploggers chalk the streets with a circle littered with cigarette butts
Akash Dhanurkar
Time and again, many environmental groups and NGO’s have raised awareness on the pollution in the city through street plays and other such activities, but for the very first time, a Pune based group of environmental enthusiast is chalking the littered cigarette butts on the streets of Pune to highlight the irresponsible nature of smokers.
The group headed by the youngsters have managed to send a sharp message in the society through their unique way of protesting.
While talking to Pune Pulse, Vivek Gurav, a group member and founder of Pune Ploggers said, ” Chalk of shame’ is a campaign to raise awareness about the smokers who litter cigarette butts on the road after smoking – they usually stamp and crush the butts beneath their feet, which should be stopped during the current health crisis entire world is facing.
This not just harm the cleanliness of the city, but can also hamper passerbys and stray dogs. So,, when we spot a cigarette butt, we circle it with a chalk with a message that attracts passerbys.”
The group was picking up cigarette butts since last year, but due to COVID, the group has come out with a unique way of raising awareness. According to the information given by the group, they have held multiple drives, including the drive on JM Road and FC Road that caught the attention of Puneties.
