Puneri Swag Shines in Pune’s Biggest Cleanup on Swachh Bharat Anniversary
Puneri Swag Shines in Pune's Biggest Cleanup on Swachh Bharat Anniversary
On the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pune witnessed its biggest ever swachhta drive, led by Swachh Pune Swachh Bharat. On October 2, Puneri SWAG created a massive impact, giving a significant push to the Swachh Bharat cause. Hundreds of NGOs, schools, and colleges that had previously been involved in the initiative contributed once again, turning the campaign into a people’s movement. The goal was to reach out to every Punekar and involve them in the Swachh Pune mission.
Wing Commander (Retd) Puneet Sharma from Swachh Pune Swachh Bhharat said, “This time, the group organized four types of events to engage localities, societies, and citizens. Two major events stood out. The first was a river cleanup drive at Siddheshwar Ghat, where thousands of volunteers participated, aligning with the Daan Utsav. The second event took place at the Hadapsar flyover, where Adar Poonawalla Clean City collaborated with Swachh Pune Swachh Bharat to clean and beautify all 64 pillars of the flyover. Additionally, tree plantation activities were conducted across several tekdis in the city.”
Schools played a crucial role in spreading awareness, using Nukkad Natikas and flash mobs. Adar Poonawalla Clean City and Poornam Ecovision also collaborated for waste collection drives, including the collection of clothes and e-waste.
The success of this campaign required the involvement of every society, locality, and Punekar. Citizens were encouraged to register for any SWAG events. Participants could select chronic garbage dumping spots, clean them, and share before-and-after pictures with the hashtag #swachhtawithpuneriswag. Waste collection drives were organized in societies, and young students engaged in awareness activities through Nukkad Natikas and flash mobs. Tree plantation drives were also a major focus, with photos shared on social media.
While a decade of effort has made a difference, organizers stressed that more work is needed. The success of this campaign demonstrated that a Swachh Pune, with active citizen participation, could inspire other cities to adopt similar models and contribute to a truly Swachh Bharat.
