PUNE: Three NGOs on Wednesday joined hands to clean litter, including single-use plastic, from areas in Koregaon Park and Mundhwa on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Gandhi Jayanti.
The drive was named ‘India Plog Run’ or plogging. Besides the Art of Living founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, NGOs Bhumi and Ecstasy were also a part of the social service activity. This event promoted reduction in single-use plastic and proper segregation and recycling of plastic.
Plogging means picking up litter while jogging. It started as an organised activity in Sweden in 2016. It later spread to other countries in 2018, following increased concern about plastic pollution. It not only helps keep environment clean but also provides variation in body movements, including bending, squatting and stretching, besides the main action of jogging.
Around 180 volunteers of Art of Living Pune, Bhumi and Ecstasy spread awareness about ‘plogging’ among residents.
The drive began with light yogasanas led by the Art of Living team. The yoga postures, which provide relief from body ache and stress, were brilliantly performed by the participants as demonstrated by Seema Goves, Trusha M, Meenakshi Iyer, Tejashree J, Vinaya L, Kiran Naik and Yogendra M.
The participants were divided into four teams, which cleaned the area from KP Annexe, Fab Hotel Prime Magnus Star, Passport Office and Mundhwa; the area from Koregoan Park Annex to Westin Hotel and back; the area from Koregoan Park Annexe to Indian Oil petrol pump in Mundhwa and back and Koregoan Park Annexe to Hadapsar bridge and back.
Each team covered a stretch of 4 kms, adding to a total area of 16 kms.
Earlier, safety measure were explained to the volunteers. They were asked to be careful while plogging.
Each one of them was given a kit containing a face mask, hand gloves and a trash bag. The idea was to jog the pathway while picking up the thrash. Plogging involves body movements such as bending and stretching, squatting, walk, brisk walk and halts. The collected trash contained single-use plastic such as pouches for pan masala, chewing elements, biscuit wrappers and wafer wrappers.
