MUMBAI: The massive crowds that throng Lalbaug-Parel during Ganesh idol arrival processions have left behind not just garbage but nearly four metric tonnes of footwear.BMC in a first has tied up with an NGO to refurbish the discarded shoes, sandals and slippers and distribute them among needy school children, including residents of tribal areas.The initiative has been undertaken by the BMC’s F-South ward as part of its efforts to manage the waste generated during the Ganesh festival.Officials said the collected footwear would be handed over to the Green Sole Foundation an NGO, which will repair and refurbish them at its workshop in Bhiwandi before distributing them to beneficiaries.Ganesh idol arrival processions for several prominent public mandals begin weeks before the main festival, which starts on September 14 this year.Lalbaug, Parel and Chinchpokli have been witnessing large crowds, particularly over weekends.With thousands of devotees jostling for space during the processions, footwear is often lost or abandoned said an official from BMC’s solid waste department.After the large turnout on August 29, BMC sanitation teams found piles of shoes, sandals and slippers at Parel Workshop, Bharatmata Junction, Chinchpokli and along Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road.The local ward subsequently launched a special overnight cleanliness drive, deploying two dumpers, a tempo, a JCB and a large number of sanitation workers.Besides the four tonnes of footwear, around 12 tonnes of other waste was collected during the operation.The BMC said the footwear would be processed and put back to use instead of being sent to a landfill. After refurbishment, it will be distributed among needy children, economically weaker families and people living in tribal areas.Civic officials said the initiative serves a dual purpose, reducing the amount of waste generated during the festival while ensuring that usable footwear reaches those in need.The collection and reuse drive will continue through the entire Ganesh festival, and not just during the idol arrival ceremonies, officials said.Raju Srinivas, manager at Green Sole Foundation, said the NGO has so far received a large dumper-load of discarded footwear collected by the BMC.He said this is the first time the civic body has partnered with the foundation and estimated that the footwear collected could be used to make pairs for around 50-100 children.Explaining the process, Srinivas said the soles of discarded, abandoned or lost footwear are recovered at the foundation’s facility and moulded into soles for children from Classes 1 to 8.“We have standard sizes for children studying in Classes 1 to 8. Depending on the quantity of footwear we receive, the soles are processed and put into the appropriate moulds to make new footwear for those in need,” he said.The refurbished footwear is then distributed based on sponsorships received by the foundation as well as requests from organisations and communities where there is a requirement.Assistant municipal commissioner of BMC’s F-South ward, Vrushali Ingole, said the issue of abandoned footwear had been a concern for the civic administration every year, particularly during the Ganesh festival.“We wanted to find a way to put these abandoned footwear to good use and were looking for organisations that could upcycle them. That is when we came across Green Sole Foundation,” she said.Ingole said F-South covers several prominent Ganesh mandals including Lalbaug Ganpati and attracts large numbers of devotees during idol arrival and immersion processions.“Devotees often leave their footwear behind in the rush. At times, one shoe or slipper from a pair is lost, and people do not return to look for the other one, resulting in both pieces being abandoned,” she said.She added that the civic administration was pleased to have found an NGO that could ensure the discarded footwear was recycled and put to meaningful use.
