Offerings of fresh fruit, generally dumped in nirmalya kalashs, will be collected in separate crates this year and distributed later
Nirmalya Kalashs where devotees usually throw offerings into before visarjan. File pics
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This Ganeshotsav, street children in Navi Mumbai are all set for a fresh fruit treat. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has decided to install more than 50 crates at various ponds and other immersion sites so that devotees can drop the fruits into it instead of throwing them away as waste. These fruits will immediately be distributed to street children in the area.
Offerings floating at the visarjan spots during immersion
Tushar Pawar, deputy municipal commissioner, solid waste management department, NMMC, said the idea came to them last year, when Tukaram Mundhe, former municipal commissioner, NMMC, visited the many immersion sites and saw food go to waste. "Every year, we place Nirmalya Kalashs at immersion sites so that people don't throw the puja items into the ponds or at immersion sites. We placed two kalashs for dry and wet waste. Mundhe was checking the waste when he found that in most of the dry Kalashs, fresh and good quality fruit and sweets had been thrown. He then ordered that the fruits be separated and distributed to the needy," Pawar said.
Last year, the NMMC did not have much success collecting the fruit as they had already rotted away by the time the NMMC checked the kalashs. But, this time, they are making all arrangements to ensure the fruits are collected and distributed properly.
"This year, we have planned this in advance and will be placing crates at 50-odd immersion spots in the jurisdiction of the civic body. We will place banners and posters telling people to drop fruits only into the crates. Also, we will deploy our officials to will keep alerting devotees to the baskets. We will then distribute the fruits on the same day or the next," Pawar said.
Kunal Nikam, 28, a resident of Navi Mumbai is happy with the initiative taken by the Corporation. He said, "Every resident of the city should support such an initiative. Usually, it is our job to distribute food among the needy, but the corporation has taken over this duty. Every person usually buys good quality fruits as these are offered to god, why then should it be wasted. Other civic bodies should follow NMMC's example."
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