Latest news with #PunePloggers
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
40 kg of waste in 2.5 hours: How Pune Ploggers helped clean city after Palkhi processions, Sant Tukaram Maharaj, Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, Shaniwar Wada
Following the Palkhi processions of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj near Shaniwar Wada on June 21, a group of 17 volunteers from Pune Ploggers, a non-profit organisation, conducted a cleanup drive in the area. The team collected nearly 40 kilograms of waste during a two-and-a-half-hour cleanup drive left behind after the annual Palkhi procession. 'We came across items like plastic bottles, food containers, footwear, and rubber mobile covers. What stood out were the large sacks of mixed food waste,' said Harsh Jain, 27, a volunteer. He said that most of the waste was located near the temporary food and water distribution areas around Shaniwar Wada. But for volunteers like Jain, this was not a one-off gesture. It is part of a growing commitment among Pune's youth to clean up their city, one plogging at a time — a quiet transformation that has been sweeping through the city. Pune Ploggers was launched in October 2019 by Vivek Gurav, an environmental and solutions consultant from Jaysingpur. The initiative was sparked by the growing pollution in the city. 'After seeing the irresponsible dumping of waste in rivers, I realised the real problem was in the city. It needed a movement that brought people together,' Gurav said. Co-founder Bhushan More echoes the urgency that shaped the idea. 'The flash floods during those years made us realise the need for a wider initiative that involves and brings citizens together,' he said. Since then, the movement has grown to over 20,000 volunteers with chapters across India and the UK. In Pune, they have conducted hundreds of clean-up drives across JM Road, Koregaon Park, Taljai Hills, ARAI Tekdi, and Hanuman Tekdi. The model is simple: jog while picking up litter. 'You pick up litter, save the planet, burn calories, and drop your ego. Most people think this kind of work is beneath them but once they join us, that changes,' More asserted. For Sakshi Jain, 26, it began during the Covid-19 pandemic with a walk along the Mula Mutha River and a desire to make the city cleaner. A friend introduced her to the community, and she now helps organise clean-up drives as part of the core team. Regarding the type of waste they collect during clean-up drives, Jain said, 'On the streets, it is mostly plastic wrappers, coffee cups, and cigarette butts while on riverbeds, we have found everything from textile waste, deity idols, and medical syringes.' More pointed out that biomedical waste is also a recurring issue across most areas of the city. 'We often come across single-use plastic, disposable food packaging, textile waste, religious offerings, and alcohol bottles,' he added. According to internal estimates, the group has collected over two million kilograms of waste, with about 30 per cent being recycled and the rest for segregation and responsible management. Jain said their consistency is making an impact. She said, 'We have been at it for five years now, and people are beginning to notice.' But for the founder, it is more than just clean-ups but it is about creating impact through awareness and community. The initiative is personal for Gurav who said, 'I come from a farming family affected by climate change. This gives citizens like us a voice and to be part of the solution.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Activist sparks debate after announcing 50-city tour to bring light to critical issue: 'People of all ages can participate'
An environmental advocate has embarked on an ambitious 50-city tour that is sure to get participants' hearts pumping as communities are beautified. Vivek Gurav (@theplogman) began picking up litter when jogging after realizing his desire for more practical environmental action. That desire grew into a "plogging" movement — inspired by a Swedish initiative that combines the terms "jogging" and plocka upp, or picking up — that invites volunteers to actively participate in being part of a cleaner tomorrow. "If they go and pick up rubbish or do some form of biodiversity conservation, it's going to bring them closer to the green spaces. It's not just about climate change overall, but it's also more about the small things," Gurav, 29, told the PA news agency, per the Independent. "[Disruptive protest] also brings a sense of refusing responsibility towards the environment and just blaming everything on the government, which I don't think is the only approach," he added. Gurav's individual journey began in his home city of Pune, India, in 2013. Ultimately, according to the Independent, his community also got involved in plogging, and collectively, teams have now picked up more than 22,000 tons of litter. When Gurav went to the United Kingdom in 2021 to study at the University of Bristol, he continued the movement. In 2023, he completed a 30-day tour of 30 cities that attracted 250 volunteers, as the BBC reported. "It feels fantastic to have seen almost all the major cities in the U.K. in the shortest span while also doing something I love," Gurav said at the time. Two years later, the plogger's impact is clear. Pune Ploggers, Gurav's nonprofit founded in 2019, highlights some of the accolades the environmental advocate has earned while helping connect more than 2,500 ploggers across 530-plus campaigns. In 2022, Gurav was honored with the United Kingdom's daily Points of Light award, which recognizes outstanding volunteers positively impacting their communities. "Every individual matters, every action counts in the race to fight climate change, and this award strengthens this belief of my entire community of ploggers based in India as well as U.K. to keep going," Gurav said in a release from the Prime Minister's office. That same year, he also spoke at the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Youth, per the Independent. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Beyond the clear environmental and community benefits of removing waste from public spaces, the plogging initiative has brought participants joy and a sense of purpose. "Joining Pune Ploggers has been a source of immense happiness and relaxation for me. It's not just a platform for expressing diverse opinions, but a welcoming space where people of all ages can participate without hesitation," plogger Harsh Jain shared with the nonprofit. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
