Jalgaon: 1,500 Volunteers Join Post-Visarjan Cleanup, Collect 95 Tonnes Of Nirmalya

Jalgaon: A day after the Ganesh Visarjan festivities, around 1,500 volunteers joined a large-scale cleanliness drive at Mehrun Lake on Saturday and helped collect 95 tonnes of nirmalya from the area.

The drive was organised following the immersion of more than 50,000 Ganesh idols, including those of public mandals and households. Students from G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering and Management and Anubhuti School, along with activists of the Dr Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan, took part in the cleanup.

The Jalgaon Municipal Corporation deployed 25 vehicles to collect nirmalya from various parts of the city, including Neri Naka, Pandey Chowk, Sindhi Colony, Mohadi Road and the Ganesh Ghat area at Mehrun Lake.

The immersion activities on Friday had left flowers, durva, garlands and other ritual offerings around the lake. Volunteers reached the area early on Saturday and collected the nirmalya separately from other waste while also cleaning the surrounding area.

The collected nirmalya will be scientifically processed into organic fertiliser, which will subsequently be used in plant nurseries. The initiative aims to prevent flowers, garlands and other ritual offerings from being dumped into water bodies and affecting the environment.

The volunteers also appealed to citizens to hand over nirmalya separately during future Ganesh immersions and avoid dumping religious offerings or other waste directly into water bodies.

The drive also sought to highlight the need for citizens to share responsibility for maintaining cleanliness after festivals. Students participating in the initiative said the effort was aimed at promoting the idea that environmental responsibility continues even after the celebrations end.

G.H. Raisoni Institute Director Prof. Dr Priti Agrawal said the nirmalya collection drive was organised to encourage students to understand their responsibilities towards society and the environment beyond classroom education.