Angels Of Pune: How Madhav Patil's 'Angholichi Goli' Is Leading Water Conservation Efforts

What began as a personal response to Pune’s water shortage in 2015 has today grown into a powerful environmental movement. The founder of Angholichi Goli (Bath Pill), a non-profit initiative, Madhav Patil, who holds an MA in Philosophy from Pune University, said the idea was born when the city faced an alternate-day water supply, forcing him to rethink how much water is wasted every day.

He said the real turning point came during the Covid-19 pandemic, when hygiene became essential, but water scarcity worsened. This led to the creation of Angholichi Goli, a water-saving movement. “Covid-19 changed everything. We needed hygiene without wasting water,” he said.

The Angholichi Goli is based on four guiding principles: sacrifice, fraternity, compassion and saving. Patil explained that sacrifice means changing personal habits for the greater good; fraternity reflects the belief that all people are connected and must support one another; compassion extends to fellow humans and the planet; and saving means protecting natural resources for future generations. According to him, the Angholichi Goli is a philosophy. He said he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that resources should be shared equally.

The initiative soon expanded beyond Pune. Patil worked in the drought-affected areas of Beed, where he met children who had lost one or both parents. This experience led to the concept “Mama cha Gavala Jau Ya” (Let’s go to Mama’s village). In 2017, he brought the first group of 30–40 children to Pune and introduced them to forts, science parks, museums and the city’s culture. “The name gives children a sense of safety, as if they are coming to their mama’s home,” he said.

He also worked near the Karjat Dam, where the dam walls were extended to store more water, and studied water conservation practices in detail. Women from conservative families joined his campaign, breaking social barriers to spread awareness about water conservation.

In 2017, inspired by his daughter, Patil launched the Nail-Free Tree Campaign after noticing how nails and banners were damaging trees. Along with his team, he removed hundreds of nails from trees on JM Road, from Modern Café to Deccan Bus Stop. The campaign gained wide public attention, after which support from 15 municipal corporations helped install boards warning that nailing trees is a punishable offence. “Trees should not be tortured. They are living beings and must be respected,” he said, citing scientific studies that suggest trees can respond to stress.

Today, the movement includes climate awareness programmes in schools, tree ambulances with PMC, electricity-saving campaigns, no-cracker Diwali drives and anti-pollution initiatives. All of these come under his larger climate action initiative called ‘Havamanthosa’, a word he introduced to mean any action taken to save the planet. He now wants this concept to be taught in schools and adopted widely.

Patil said climate change is already affecting livelihoods and health, especially those of children, senior citizens and farmers, and called the situation a “time bomb”. He has also proposed traffic signals with timers to reduce fuel wastage and emissions.

Meanwhile, Patil has appealed to the United Nations to declare January 1 as World Bath Pill Day, adding that every drop of water saved is a step towards a safer future. He continues to encourage citizens to join his initiatives and become active protectors of the planet.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Anand Panase, who has been working closely with Patil for the past five years, praised his dedication and vision. He said, “Madhav is extremely hardworking, and the work he is doing is truly amazing. His initiative to protect nature and conserve resources is inspiring. It has been an incredible experience working with him and being part of a movement that creates real change. Madhav is always coming up with new ideas that benefit people in need and help protect the planet."