Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has launched a unique initiative to recycle ‘nirmalya’ (flower offerings) collected during Ganpati visarjan by converting it into incense and dhoop sticks. The civic body collected over 256 tonnes of nirmalya during the ten days of the Ganesh festival, of which 500kg of flowers were found useful for incense sticks.A senior PCMC official said that they engaged women’s self-help groups (SHGs) for the project, providing them with employment opportunities. Vaishali Lagade, an officer from the PCMC’s social welfare department who is overseeing the project, said, “Till last year, flower waste was sent for composting along with other waste material. This year we decided to recycle it into something useful. The initiative not only supports women SHGs but also ensures sustainable waste management.“She further said that while similar projects have been taken up by other civic bodies and even religious institutions such as the Tirupati Balaji Temple or Mumba Devi in Mumbai, this is the first time PCMC has adopted the model. “We have tied up with several temples in the city who have agreed to buy the incense and dhoop sticks produced by the SHGs. Besides, several trusts from Udyog Samuha have also agreed to take it, ensuring the women don’t have to rely on the open market to sell their produce,” she added.Currently, the flowers are being segregated and are left to dry, after which they will be ground in a mixer to make a powder to create four to five different types of products from it. The civic officials said the project could be scaled up in future festival seasons.
