Pune Sanitation Worker Finds and Returns One-Tola Gold Ring Discarded With Wet Waste
Pune, 21st October 2026: In a heartwarming example of honesty and dedication, Pooja Dhavare, a waste collection worker associated with the SWaCH organisation in Dattnagar, Pune, recovered a one-tola gold ring that had accidentally been thrown away with wet waste and returned it to its owners.
Dhavare collects household waste in the Dattnagar area under the Dhankawadi–Katraj–Ambegaon Ward Office. On the day of the incident, she collected waste from Raviraj Society at around 8:30 am as part of her routine work.
At around noon, residents approached her and informed her that their gold ring had accidentally ended up in the wet waste. Without hesitation, Dhavare emptied the waste onto a sack and searched through it carefully for nearly half an hour. She eventually found the ring and returned the valuable item to its rightful owners.
Speaking about the incident, Dhavare said that she and her fellow waste collectors had been serving the locality for several years and shared a relationship of trust with residents.
“The residents of this area are like our family. Whenever someone informs us that a valuable item has accidentally ended up in the waste we collect, we try our best to find it and return it honestly. The residents trust us, and we carry out our work with the same trust and integrity,” she said.
A resident of Raviraj Society expressed gratitude to Dhavare for her efforts, saying, “Pooja tai collects waste in our area every day, and we trust her. We approached her to check whether our ring had accidentally gone into the waste. Without wasting any time, she searched for it with the help of her mother and returned it to us. She performs her duties responsibly, and that is the real strength of this work. We are proud of her.”
The incident highlights the important role played by sanitation workers in maintaining neighbourhoods and the trust they build with residents through their everyday work.
