Pune: In a unique initiative, SWaCH workers along with young volunteers will be assisting people at the ‘visarjan ghats’ (immersion sites). The volunteers will be working at 16 ghats adopted by SWaCH to collect ‘nirmalya’ (flowers, garlands taken off from the idols) and send it for composting.
The volunteers had an orientation session on the banks of the river near Omkareshwar temple on Sunday morning, where they were provided with basic information on how to help with the nirmalya event, including safety and wellness measures, dos and don’ts. The volunteers were also narrated stories about rivers on the river walk by the two collaborating organisations JeevitNadi and The Story Station.
Suchismita Pai, Outreach Function Head of SwaCH, said, “We have been doing this activity for the past four to five years. Last year, SWaCH collected over 117 tonnes of nirmalya and diverted it from the river to composting and recycling. This year, we introduced online registration system for the first time, and we got 90 registrations from youths. Some of these people will also be coming in with their groups, so we are expecting more than 100 volunteers in addition to the SWaCH workers this year.”
Shobha Bansode, SWaCH member waste picker said, “We have taken turns to be at the ghats every year because we consider it a chance to serve the city and be a part of the festival. It began with devotion and has grown to become an extremely organised event with a huge impact on the waste management system. It shows that every person can make a difference.”
Varsha Chitale, who volunteered for the event last year and plans to do it again this year urged others to sign up and said, “The atmosphere is extremely energising. It has an almost carnival like feel, especially at the peak when the sounds of each mandal are almost hypnotic.”
