Pune: SWaCH Waste Picker Returns Lost Gold Ring in Pune, Sets Example of Honesty

Pune, 23rd December 2025: In a heartening example of integrity, a waste picker associated with the SWaCH cooperative returned a gold wedding ring worth one tola that she found while segregating household waste in Pune, reaffirming the strong bond of trust between city residents and sanitation workers.

Shalan Laxman Wayla, who has been working as a waste picker in the Kasba Vishrambaug Wada area, discovered the ring on December 22 while sorting collected garbage later in the day. Recognising its value, she immediately kept it safe and ensured it was returned to its owner, Priyanka Jagdale, without any hesitation.

Shalan has been providing door-to-door waste collection services to the Jagdale household for over a decade. The ring belonged to Priyanka Jagdale, daughter-in-law of Jayashree Jagdale, former principal of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore School, Pune. Family members said the ring was accidentally wrapped in paper and disposed of while preparing lunch and packing a tiffin in a hurry.

After realising the ring was missing, the family promptly contacted Shalan, who returned it without delay. Expressing her emotions, Jayashree Jagdale said the incident reinforced the value of honesty she had taught students throughout her career. “The financial worth of the ring is secondary. It carries deep emotional significance as my daughter-in-law’s wedding ring,” she said.

Touched by Shalan’s honesty, the family honoured her with a sari as a gesture of appreciation. Jayashree Jagdale said the felicitation was intended to encourage ethical conduct and inspire others, while also acknowledging the values upheld by the SWaCH cooperative.

The incident adds to a growing list of similar acts by SWaCH workers. Recently, another waste picker, Anju Mane, returned a bag containing ₹10 lakh in cash found on a city road. Residents say such gestures reflect the trust built over more than two decades between SWaCH waste pickers and Pune citizens.

As SWaCH workers continue to serve lakhs of households across Pune through daily door-to-door waste collection, their commitment to honesty and dignity of labour continues to earn widespread respect across the city.