BMC Partners with NGO to Refurbish 4 Tonnes of Footwear Left in Lalbaug-Parel
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has tied up with an NGO to refurbish nearly four metric tonnes of footwear abandoned by devotees during Ganesh idol arrival processions in Lalbaug, Parel, and Chinchpokli. The footwear will be repaired and distributed to school children and families in tribal areas.
The initiative was undertaken by the civic body's F-South ward as part of its waste management measures for the Ganesh festival. Instead of dumping the lost shoes, sandals, and slippers into landfills, the civic body handed them over to the Green Sole Foundation, which will process them at its workshop in Bhiwandi.
Arrival processions for several major public mandals begin weeks ahead of the festival, which begins on September 14 this year. Following large weekend gatherings, including a heavy turnout on August 29, civic sanitation workers discovered mounds of discarded footwear at Bharatmata Junction, Parel Workshop, Chinchpokli, and along Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road.
To clear the streets, the F-South ward carried out an overnight cleanliness drive using two dumpers, a tempo, a JCB, and a team of sanitation workers. In addition to the four tonnes of footwear, crews collected approximately 12 tonnes of general waste.
Vrushali Ingole, assistant municipal commissioner of the F-South ward, said the accumulation of abandoned footwear has been a recurring issue during festival processions. She explained that in large crowds, devotees frequently lose one piece of footwear and leave the remaining one behind. Seeking a sustainable solution, the ward approached the Green Sole Foundation to upcycle the materials.
Raju Srinivas, manager at Green Sole Foundation, said the NGO received a dumper-load of footwear from the BMC in their first collaboration. He explained that usable soles are recovered and reshaped using standard moulds designed for children in Classes 1 to 8, estimating the initial batch could produce footwear for 50 to 100 children.
The refurbished pairs will be distributed based on sponsorships and requests from community groups. Civic officials confirmed that the footwear collection and reuse drive will remain active throughout the entire festival period.
