Pune, 8th September 2025: The SWACH cooperative's waste pickers launched the 'Nirmalya to Nisarg' initiative during this year's Ganeshotsav, linking the festival with environmental conservation at over 50 immersion sites and centers. On September 2 and 6, they collected and sorted a total of 114 tonnes of nirmalya (offerings to the deity) and an additional 39 tonnes of dry waste.
The gathered nirmalya was handed over to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for composting. As per a statement from SWaCH on Sunday, over 400 waste pickers were ready for this task across the city.
On September 2 (Gauri Visarjan) and September 6 (Anant Chaturdashi), they collected and organized nirmalya, including flowers, garlands, coconuts, and durva, as well as dry waste like plastic bags, decorations, and sweet boxes. Started in 2009 with a few chosen ghats, this initiative has been steadily carried out for the last 15 years and is now a crucial aspect of Pune's Ganeshotsav.
The waste pickers stayed at the immersion centers until late at night on both days, continuing their work to collect nirmalya. This year, the SWACH waste pickers undertook the responsibility of promoting an eco-friendly Ganeshotsav, making their participation especially commendable. The PMC's plan for a door-to-door, mechanized garbage collection system endangers the jobs of thousands of waste pickers.
"We join the public in celebrating the festival. Despite the uncertainty surrounding our work, we were present at the immersion centers with the PMC for the city. Every year, people offer us prasad and involve us in the aarti," stated Sarika Karadkar, a board member of SWACH Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha.
While the waste pickers typically have short encounters when picking up waste at the doorstep each day, they become integral to the festival during the immersion. She further mentioned that the Nirmalya collection effort has strengthened the tradition of upholding the city's inclusive culture.