Pune Celebrates River Festival 2025 with Massive Mutha River Cleanup Drive
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 1st December 2025: In a vibrant citizens’ initiative, Pune came together on Sunday for “Nadi Mahotsav 2025 – Clean River, Beautiful Pune,” focusing on the stretch of the Mutha River between Baba Bhide Bridge and Mhatre Bridge. The three-hour drive, held from 7 am to 10 am, combined cleanliness activities, environmental awareness, and community engagement.
Organized by the Solid Waste and Environment Department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and supported by Yuva for Action, Ecosan Services Foundation, Jeevitnadi – Living River Foundation, and other NGOs, the event was held as part of River Week and the lead-up to National Pollution Control Day on December 2.
Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram emphasized the unique nature of the initiative: “This was not just a cleanliness drive but a festival where we could educate citizens on the importance of a clean river while actively involving them. The municipal administration is always ready to keep the city clean, but the participation and cooperation of citizens are equally vital to make Pune a beautiful and sustainable city.”
Around 3,000 participants, including school and college students, corporate employees, bank staff, healthcare workers, municipal officials, and citizens, joined the drive. Collectively, they removed 263 tons of river sand, 11 tons of grass, and 20 tons of garbage. The cleanup was facilitated with the help of 5 JCBs, 8 bell trucks, 6 cutting trucks, 3 containers, 2 hay wagons, 1 jatayu, 6 small elephants, 5 tippers, 15 Adar Poonawala trucks, and 4 glitters.
Various PMC departments, including Roads, Gardens, Buildings, Sewage, Solid Waste, Electricity, Health, Traffic, Security, Smart City, Fire Brigade, and River Improvement Projects, were actively involved. Ward offices such as Warje Karvenagar, Ghole Road, and Kasba Vishrambag also contributed.
The festival included river cleanliness drives, seven stage cultural programs, four street plays, drum circles, public awareness rallies, environmental exhibitions, NGO stalls, and sapling distribution by the Garden Department. Citizens enthusiastically participated in all activities, donating their labor and actively engaging in conservation efforts.
Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram further stated, “When citizens actively participate, such programs not only clean the river but also instill environmental responsibility in the community. River Festival 2025 is a demonstration of what Pune can achieve when government and citizens work together for a sustainable future.”
The program was attended by key officials including Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police Pune City Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Sandeep Gill, Additional Municipal Commissioners Pavneet Kaur, Prithviraj B P, Omprakash Divate, City Engineer Prashant Waghmare, Deputy Commissioner of Solid Waste Avinash Sakpal, Environment Department’s Kishori Shide, Santosh Warule of Zone 2, and all department heads of PMC.
