Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative

When waste warriors meet, they talk about cleanliness !  600+ Waste Warriors . One Unstoppable Mission. This week marked a special moment for the Adar Poonawalla Clean City initiative as over 600 Waste Warriors came together for a warm, informal gathering — a celebration of dedication, teamwork, and shared purpose.  The program was held at Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Auditorium at Wanawadi . Mr.Amol Pawar, Assistant Commissioner, Wanawadi Ward Office graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Mr. Krishnan Komandur , CEO, APCCI , Mr. Malhar Karwande, COO, APCCI Mr. Ashish Marathe and GM, APCCI, Sunil Kumbharkar, Director, Sumeet facilities  were present on the occasion.     These incredible individuals are the driving force behind the cleaner, greener cities we often take for granted. Day in and day out, from early mornings to long hours in the field, they work tirelessly to improve the quality of urban life. Often working behind the...

Any transformation in society should start with individual self. Mental cleanliness and  respect for others will lead to outer cleanliness too, opined well known motivational speaker Mr.Vinayak Chhatre,Director  Vishwakalyan Guru Seva Foundation.  Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative (APCCI)  on Saturday launched a special series 'Clean City Talks' which will explore various aspects of sustainability and what it means for a common man to keep our city clean and sustainable . Kick starting the initiative was Mr.Vinayak Chhatre who spoke about Sustainability and Leadership. Mr.Krishnan Komandur, CEO APCCI,Mr.Malhar Karwande, COO APCCI and  Mr.Sathya Natarajan, Lead Volunteer APCCI were present on the occasion .    Mr. Vinayak Chhatre has been a leading motivational speaker, initiator of Siddha Samadhi programs and has been involved in training activities for teachers. He is the  Managing Director, Forbaco Systems and Computer Services...

  एकीकडे हवामान बदलाचे भयानक स्वरूप आपण अनुभवत असताना त्याला कारणीभूत असणाऱ्या प्रमुख घटकांपैकी एक असलेल्या कचऱ्याबाबत आपण अजूनही उदासीन आहोत.  आपण कधी विचार केला आहे की कचरा एकदा आपल्या घरातून निघून गेला की त्याचे काय होते? तो गूढपणे अदृश्य होत नाही. आपल्या घरातला कचरा आपल्या नजरेसमोरून गेला की आपली जबाबदारी संपली असा आपला समज झाला आहे.  त्या कचऱ्याचे पुढे काय होते, कचऱ्याची विल्हेवाट कशी लावली जाते, त्यावर कोणत्या प्रक्रिया केल्या जातात याबद्दल फारसे काही माहित नसते.काही सामाजिक संस्था, स्वयंसेवक,विद्यार्थी कचऱ्याच्या समस्या हाताळण्यासाठी व कचऱ्याबाबतची जागरूकता वाढविण्याचे प्रयत्न करत आहेत. तरी देखील वैयक्तिक स्तरावर प्रत्येकाने हे जाणून घेणे गरजेचे आहे की आपल्या घरातून बाहेर पडलेल्या कचऱ्याचे पुढे काय होते.   पूर्वी आपण बाजारातून वस्तू आणण्यासाठी कापडी पिशवीचा वापर करायचो,त्यामुळे कचऱ्याची समस्या ही मर्यादित असायची. सध्याच्या बदललेल्या जीवनशैलीनुसार आपण थेट बाजारात न जाता ऑनलाइन खरेदी करतो. त्यामध्ये वस्तूपेक्षा जास्त हे त्याचे प्लास्टिकचे वेष्टन अस...

WORLD SOIL DAY- 5 December Saving the magical earth beneath us   Human health and human survival depend on the food we eat. The quality of the food depends on the fertility of the soil.  It is one of the most important and essential natural resources we have. Soil pollution affects fertility and jeopardizes food security. The presence of toxic substances causes soil pollution. Some of the contaminants occur naturally, but most of it is a result of human activities. The way we manage our waste, be it solid, wet or e-waste directly affects the environment and the earth beneath. World Soil Day is celebrated every year on  5 th December to highlight the importance of soil health and it’s role in a sustainable future. Waste management and soil are two interrelated subjects that have a significant impact on our environment. For years we have been indifferent towards this core issue. Soil is the very foundation of food generation, it provides clean water and is crucial t...

In recent times, marathons have emerged as a popular avenue for advocating fitness and a health-conscious lifestyle. The sheer diversity of participants, spanning various societal segments, injects excitement into these events. Witnessing people engage in such large numbers instils a sense of teamwork and accomplishment, which can be truly inspiring and profoundly impactful on individuals. Moreover, many marathons transcend mere physical and mental benefits, providing a platform to spotlight charitable causes and social initiatives. In essence, marathons are evolving into significant contributors to community well-being. Pune, in particular, is witnessing a surge in marathon popularity, with events ranging from small to large, including walkathons, taking place almost every week in support of noble causes. However, the substantial influx of participants also translates to a considerable environmental footprint, primarily in terms of waste generation. Items such as drinking water bo...

  Hon.Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi called upon the people to participate in cleanliness drive on October 1 across the country. Adar Poonawalla Clean City ( APCCI) actively participated in the mega cleanliness drive across various locations in Pune.   Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS)  campaign was celebrated from 15 th  September to 2 nd  October this year with a theme of ‘Garbage Free India’. The focus was on cleanliness especially at high footfall public places like bus stands, railway stations, cantonment boards, beaches, tourist places, zoos, national parks & sanctuaries, historical monuments, heritage sites, river fronts, ghats, drains and nallahs etc. in both rural & urban areas. In Pune citizens from various walks of life joined in the mega event with an hour long ‘Shramdan’ in run up to the’ Swacch Bharat Diwas’ on 2 October 2023 and a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary. The program was conducted under the aegis of the ...

Entrepreneur and founder of the Goat Village homestays and the Bakri Chhap organic products brand in Uttarakhand, Mr. Roopesh Rai who is on a cycling mission to spread the word of environment conservation made a pit stop at Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative (APCCI)  office in Pune. He was welcomed  and felicitated at the hands of Krishnan Komandur,CEO, APCCI in presence of Malhar Karwande, COO APCCI and staff members. Roopesh Rai set up on this cycling expedition six months back and will be travelling 12000 km across across six states and 120 village panchayats. The major focus is on rural areas where he is motivating youngsters to take care conserve their cultural and natural heritage with ‘Jal, Jungle, Jameen’  initiative and is appointing 120 ‘Prakriti Pahiris’  as custodians of this endeavor. As a part of this campaign ‘Ficus’ tree symbolic of bio-diversity is being planted. The rural youth is being asked to report about this tree in a storytelli...

As much as we all want our environment to be free of litter, there are still areas prone to chronic waste spots. These areas are often characterized by heaps of trash and debris, and they can diminish the aesthetic value of a place as well as negatively impact public health and safety. But with a little effort, we can all contribute to beautifying these chronic waste spots and make them a pleasant site for everyone.   One of the first things to consider when beautifying a chronic waste spot is to assess the scope of the clean-up. This will help us determine the resources and strategies that we need to employ to tackle the problem effectively. It is essential to coordinate with local authorities, waste collectors and other relevant stakeholders to ensure doorstep waste collection to the nearby citizens, solve the waste collection related issues. Monitor the location for few days so that now garbage is thrown by passerby at the spot. Another crucial consideration is th...

Cleanliness drives at more than 100 locations in the city, massive plantation drive with 1000+ saplings, river cleanup drive , chronic spots cleanup,  regular cleanup on weekends at more than fifty spots, mega drive at Samvidhan Chowk, awareness sessions in schools was a perfect way to salute our great country and celebrate Independence Day. More than 100+ NGO,communities and volunteer groups teamed up for multiple drives on weekend leading upto Independence Day. The Initiative was a part of a mega drive conducted by ‘Swachh Pune Swachh  Bharat’s Don Taas , Ek Swach Pune Prayas’ , an initiative started by Wing Commander Puneet Sharma. The annual drive emphasizes common citizens to make their city a livable one by enjoying freedom from litter and pollution. This year too it carried the message under the central theme of ‘SWAG’ – ‘S’ stands for Swachhta under which cleanliness drives are organized. ‘W’- stands for Waste and E-Waste Collection. ‘A’- stands for awar...

Rapidly expanding cities in India are creating visible and sizable environmental challenges. From a common citizen's perspective basic amenities, safety and security, health and hygiene, environment and transportation are the five fundamental things that are required to make a city liveable. As easy it may sound, it is in fact challenging for many cities to meet even one of these requirements to the fullest. Waste management is directly related to most of these fundamental pillars of liveability. Poor waste management can lead to deteriorating hygiene, cleanliness of the city and in turn affecting the health of the citizens. Accumulation of waste disturbs the aesthetics of the city and affects its image. India is on a rapid economic path, and as cities attract more people for jobs, the urban population will keep growing. This will result in more consumption and waste. This will remain a central concern for any city administration because of the sheer size of the chal...

  Potholes are becoming a menace especially in the rapidly expanding urban areas. Not only do they affect the traffic flow but pose significant risk of injuries and accidents especially to two wheeler riders. This issue becomes even more evident during and after monsoons. The surface of the road gets washed away due to various reasons including quality of road construction, ageing of asphalt, traffic burden on the road etc. With monsoon filling these potholes with water, vehicle riders are unable to gauge the dept of the potholes leading to serious risks.  With Pune City expanding in all directions, increasing number of vehicles on the road, potholes have become a part of our day to day commuting.  Sometimes seamless commuting seems to be a distant dream and people express helplessness of the situation. The fact is that this issue is a challenge but not impossible to be addressed if public participation improves. We can keep on raising concerns with the civic bodie...

As the World embarks on a challenging journey towards Net Zero, waste management and citizens engagement is of paramount importance. And in waste management apart from the macro level issues, one of the mounting issues is the litter we see on the roads and public places. Most of the times we are ignorant and tolerate litter and trash around us as if it doesn’t make a difference. But the fact is that, one small step of picking up a plastic bottle, a chit of paper, a discarded household material or product and putting it into a bin will make a huge difference. Our culture emphasizes keeping our surroundings clean, our text books teach us ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. Despite this we see people carelessly throwing litter especially in public places, others are bystanders as if it is not our responsibility. If we remain ignorant of the growing litter, it will add up to the already overburdened landfills, deface our public places, beaches, tourism sites, and add to the already c...