Pune: 400 SWaCH Waste Pickers Collect 114 Tons Of Nirmalya Through “Nirmalya to Nisarg” Initiative During Ganpati Festival
Pune: 400 SWaCH Waste Pickers Collect 114 Tons Of Nirmalya Through "Nirmalya to Nisarg" Initiative During Ganpati Festival
Pune, September 8, 2025: As is tradition, the SWaCH waste pickers continued their two-decade-long commitment to Pune during the city’s largest festival. They implemented the ‘Nirmalya to Nisarg’ (Offerings to Nature) initiative, which connects the festival with environmental conservation, at over 50 immersion sites and centers. On September 2nd and 6th, the waste pickers meticulously collected and sorted 114 tons of Nirmalya. Additionally, 39 tons of dry waste were collected separately. The collected Nirmalya was handed over to the Pune Municipal Corporation for composting.
Over 400 SWaCH waste pickers were ready for this initiative across the city. On September 2nd (Gauri Visarjan) and September 6th (Anant Chaturdashi), they collected and sorted Nirmalya such as flowers, garlands, coconuts, and durva, along with dry waste like plastic bags, decorations, and sweet boxes. Started in 2009 with a few selected ghats, this initiative has been implemented consistently for the past fifteen years and has now become an integral part of Pune’s Ganesh festival.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding their livelihoods—whether they will lose their jobs or be integrated into the new system proposed by the Pune Municipal Corporation—the waste pickers steadfastly fulfilled their commitment to the city and its citizens. They stayed at the immersion centers late into the night on both days, continuing their Nirmalya collection work. The proposed door-to-door, mechanised garbage collection system by the Pune Municipal Corporation endangers the jobs of thousands of waste pickers. This system risks dismantling the SWaCH cooperative model and could leave waste pickers out of the system once again. Even in such a situation, the SWaCH waste pickers took responsibility for creating an environment friendly Ganeshotsav, making their participation even more inspiring this year.
The “Nirmalya to Nisarg” initiative is not just limited to collecting Nirmalya; it is a symbol of the trust between citizens and waste pickers in celebrating Pune’s biggest festival in an environmentally friendly manner.
“We celebrate Ganpati festival together with the citizens. Even though the certainty of our work is not being clearly assured, we were present at the immersion centers with the Pune Municipal Corporation for the city. People give us Prasad every year and include us in the aarti. While we meet in a hurry when we collect waste at the door every day, during the immersion, we are included in the festival. The tradition of preserving our city’s inclusive culture has been strengthened by the Nirmalya collection initiative.” – Sarika Karadkar, Board Member, SWaCH Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha
