Cleanliness Drive In Pune: Volunteers Target Hill And Tekdi Areas To Combat Waste; Join The Effort This Saturday!
Reported by Siddhi Dharmadhikari
Pune, 15th May 2025: Pune, a rapidly growing metropolitan city known for its thriving job sector and quality education, has become a hub for students, job seekers, and professionals aiming to secure a better future.
However, with the city’s rapid development, civic issues have also escalated significantly. Pune is grappling with severe air pollution, water pollution, traffic congestion, and an increasing garbage problem.
Despite being naturally blessed with rich flora and fauna and serving as a prominent tourist destination with hills, forts, and scenic spots, the city is witnessing a disturbing rise in civic negligence. Plastic waste, glass bottles, wrappers, and other litter are being recklessly dumped, causing environmental hazards and posing serious health risks.
In response to these growing concerns, Padmini Pansae, Founder of the Multiple Intelligence Research Academy (MIRA) and owner of Café Mhuzo Goa – a book café on FC Road – has initiated a cleanliness drive. Pansae, along with six other volunteers, began collecting waste from hill and tekdi areas. The first drive was conducted on 29th March at Law College Hill, also known as Hanuman Tekdi.
Speaking to Punekar News, Pansae revealed that they collected approximately 1,000 glass bottles, mostly broken, along with 24 bags of toxic waste. The waste included used sanitary pads, condoms, cosmetic waste, cigarette packets, medical waste, household trash, plastic bags, and food wrappers.
The volunteers observed that many slum dwellers from nearby areas were consuming alcohol on the hill and leaving behind waste. Additionally, some residential societies were dumping household waste at the hill base. Youngsters visiting the hill were also seen discarding fast food packets, plastic bags, and other litter throughout the area.
Realizing that such efforts would require consistent and collective action, Pansae and her team conducted a second cleanliness drive on 5th April at the same location, Law College Hill.
The team acknowledged that cleaning the hills would demand extensive and coordinated efforts from the community. Despite the daunting task, the volunteers remain committed to their mission of safeguarding Pune’s natural beauty.
The third cleanliness drive is scheduled for Saturday, 17th May, from 6 am to 10 am, covering Law College Hill, ARAI Hills, and the Bhamburda Forest Area. The target is to collect a minimum of 100 bags of garbage with the support of 30-50 volunteers.
Pansae also confirmed that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has agreed to assist the volunteers by providing a garbage truck for waste collection.
Appealing to citizens to join the initiative, Pansae said, “Individuals, groups, or volunteers – everyone is welcome. Our aim is to protect nature while ensuring a cleaner and healthier Pune.”
