PUNE: With a vision to make city rivers garbage free, 18 NGOs working for the rivers came together and conducted a cleanup drive on 12 river banks including stretches of Mula, Mutha, Indrayani, Ram Nadi and Pavana.
During the cleanliness drive, the NGOs came across huge piles of mixed garbage along with plastic and liquor bottles, which were found on every bank.
Shailaja Deshpande, Founder Director of Jeevitnadi - Living River Foundation, said, “India River Day falls on November 28, but this year the NGOs working for river thought of coming together and cleaning the rivers of the city before the Day. Citizens of the city turned up in huge numbers and showed enthusiasm in the cleanup drive. Siddheshwar Ghat received more than 500 volunteers. In each area, volunteers collected seven to eight containers of garbage and the segregated garbage was kept in each dedicated garbage bin.”
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Saurabh Rao, Mayor Mukta Tilak and PMC Solid Waste Management Department Chief Dnyaneshwar Molak were present at Omkareshwar Ghat.
IT professionals also joined the cleanup drive and removal of water hyacinth at various stretches. Hujurpaga College, Shikshan Vivek Mandal, RSS, Rotary Club, Metro office staff, PMC Bachat Gat, Corporator Kalamkar, Gayatri Khade and Jyotsna Ekbote were present for the cleanup drive and took a pledge at different stretches.
Deshpande further said, “PMC Solid Waste Department not only provided logistics but also brought equipment with the help of Irrigation Dept, Metro and Thakurdesai lightweight poklanes and floating spiders to remove instream solid waste in Mutha river. The total garbage collected was infinite and it was not weighed. The garbage was then sent to PMC’s dumping yard.”
“We will be continuing our regular activities every week as we have been doing for the vision of 2020, which is ‘Solidwaste Free Rivers of Pune by 2020’, she added.
Dividing The Work
Jeevitnadi took charge of cleaning seven stretches of Mutha River from Vithalwadi Ghat, SM Joshi bridge, Omkareshwar Ghat, Siddheshwar Vrudheshwar Ghat and two stretches of Mula River including Rajiv Gandhi bridge Aundh, Mula-Ram Nadi confluence and Mula-Mutha sanctuary at Yerawada. Vasundhara Swachchata Abhiyan cleaned Someshwar Temple and Someshwarwadi; Devrai Foundation cleaned Pawana bank; Jaladevata Seva Abhiyaan cleaned the Bavdhan spring; Rotary Club of Walhekarwadi cleaned the bank at Thergaon; Ankur Pratisthan was at Rajput Vit Bhatti, Omkareshwar; Thergaon Swachchata Abhiyan cleaned the stretches of Pavana; Swacch Pune Swacch Bharat took charge of cleaning Kawadipath; Avirat Shramadan cleaned at Indrayani and Alandi; Kavita Patil were at Hinjawadi; Paradkar Foundation, Jaldindi Foundation, Samagra Nadi Pariwar, TAA SagarMitra, Tellus Organisation, Jalabiradari, Environment Conservation Association and Hirvai were supporting the cause.
