Cleanliness often begins at home and ends there. But, one needs to change that and what better day than the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the third anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, to take a pledge to keep our surroundings green and clean.
Residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad participated in various programmes to pay homage to Gandhi’s ideology of non-violence and cleanliness.
Carry a bag
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), on Wednesday, set up 37 centres for the collection of single-use plastic. Maru Eco Bags organised a recyclothon at Shivar chowk, Pimple Saudagar, to promote the use of cloth bags. “We have collected 101kg of single-use plastic between 9am and 4pm. One shop owner donated 1,000 plastic bags and has now decided to only use cloth bags,” said Madhusudan Maru, owner of Maru Eco Bags.
PCMC commissioner Shravan Hardikar, who visited the centre, said, “This centre has received a good response. We now have permanent collection centres at eight ward offices. On the ocassion of Gandhi Jayanti, the Bhosari mandai has taken an oath to not sell plastic to any customer. Children of the Blue Ridge society in Hinjewadi also held door-to-door collection drives and helped promote zero plastic campaign.”
Students also pitched in to join the celebrations. At least 100 students from Abhinav School celebrated the jayanti by cleaning their school premises and also promoted paper bags made by them.
{{/usCountry}}Students also pitched in to join the celebrations. At least 100 students from Abhinav School celebrated the jayanti by cleaning their school premises and also promoted paper bags made by them.
{{/usCountry}}Dandi march-inspired Pedestrian Day for Punekars
October 2 was also celebrated as Pedestrian Day by the youth. Taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi march, Pune-based NGO Global Shapers were present across ten major junctions in Pune to encourage pedestrians to join the movement of road safety and awareness. The NGO has been carrying out this road safety campaign since 2014. “Reports show that maximum road accident victims are youth. So, its high time that we all come together to encourage young people to follow traffic rules for their own safety,” said Devendra Jani of Global Shapers, Pune, who is heading this project.
Thank you cards at awareness drive
Various NGOs felicitated at least 250 residents who wore helmets and seat belts by giving them ‘thank you’ cards. Pankaj Deshmukh, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Pune said, “We are in complete support of such initiatives. We need the youth to follow traffic rules.”
This initiative also had other NGOs participating like Tara Foundation who conducted the drive at Anandnagar and Swargate junctions. Mother Quilt was at Good Luck junction, Faza Foundation at Kharadi junction, EcoAd at City Pride junction and Swachh Kalyani citizens group at Kalyaninagar junction.
Bapu’s favourite bhajans at Congress Bhavan
City Congress committee members along with city president Ramesh Bagwe also paid their respects to Mahatma Gandhi. A programme of Bapu’s favourite bhajans was held at Congress Bhavan, Camp.
Central Railway’s mural tribute to Gandhi
The Central Railway also participated in the celebration, wherein students of MIT School of Fine Arts and professional artists painted the reservation wall of Pune Central Railway with images of Mahatma Gandhi.