Pune Ploggers on plastic-free city mission

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut an enduring picture of him plogging on the Mamallapuram beach on the morning of October 12, a group of Punekars quietly took the road ahead of him, on October 2 and formed a group called Pune Ploggers.

Twenty-four-year-old Vivek Gurav who heads the group, said, “I was studying at MIT Academy of Engineering in Alandi and everyday, while jogging, I would see a mountain of plastic along the Alandi ghat. I started picking up waste while jogging. Seeing this, my hostel friends joined in,” he said.

“In order to make it interesting we combine this activity with jogging. Where you jog for a few metres, squat five times and then pick up the waste,” added Gurav who hails from Kolhapur.

The group meets every weekend and recently conducted a drive in Baner on November 16.

Renuka Wankhede (20) who came for the drive with her cousin from Wakad was highly impressed when she saw that plogging was better than simply jogging along. “When you squat to pick up plastic waste while running, you are exercising every bit of the body, its like instead of hitting a gymnasium, you are working towards creating a better environment and also getting the best effect of working out.” 

After the drive the residents bring the collected garbage at one place. It is then sold and the money is used to buy gloves, masks and garbage bags, said Gurav.

Gurav was recently invited by Unicef where he spoke of the ‘Youth Skills in South Asia’ and appealed businesses to invest in skill development for youth.