Pimpri Chinchwad, 10th July 2026: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) said it restored the entire Palkhi route within two hours of the departure of the Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhis, carrying out a large-scale cleanliness drive to clear waste and restore civic services.
The civic bodyтАЩs health department deployed sanitation workers and officials across the route before the arrival of the palkhis and immediately after their departure. Temporary toilets, bathing facilities and other sanitation infrastructure set up for lakhs of warkaris were cleaned, disinfected and dismantled as part of the operation.
According to the PCMC, dedicated teams worked continuously to ensure uninterrupted waste collection, disinfection and public sanitation during the annual pilgrimage. The civic body said the exercise was carried out through coordinated planning involving its health department, sanitation staff and volunteers from several educational institutions, NGOs and social organisations.
Among the organisations that participated in the drive were CYDA, Bisleri, the All India Institute of Local Government, Sanskar Pratishthan, ECA, Pratibha College, Sanjeevani, Ankush Foundation, Dnyan Ganga Foundation, Alpha Foundation, Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering, Mhalasakant Vidyalaya, Human Rights Association, Sant Nirankari Mandal, Nirmal Wari, Yashasvi Group, Aarambh Mahila Bachat Gat, Yashodhara Mahila Bachat Gat, Nirmal Flower Foundation, Lighthouse Community Foundation, Umang Foundation, Gunvant Kamgar Mandal, Pitruchhaya Trust and SNBP College.
PCMC Commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said a detailed plan had been prepared for sanitation, waste management, disinfection and maintenance of temporary toilets along the Palkhi route. The campaign, he said, was executed through coordination between civic officials, sanitation workers and volunteer organisations.
Additional Commissioner Kuldeep Jangam said public participation played a key role in ensuring that the route was cleaned within the stipulated time after the procession.
Meanwhile, in Alandi, the municipal council launched a city-wide cleanliness and disinfection drive immediately after the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhi left for Pandharpur. Chief Officer Madhav Khandekar said sanitation teams worked overnight to clear waste from halt locations, German hangars and mobile toilet sites used during the pilgrimage.
The drive has also focused on flood-hit areas of the town, where around 400 sanitation workers have been deployed to remove silt, garbage and water hyacinth from the ghats and riverbank using JCB machines. Roads are being washed with fire brigade vehicles, while disinfectants, BHC powder and deodorising chemicals are being sprayed across the town to prevent the spread of disease.
The civic body is also cleaning commercial establishments affected by recent flooding and disposing of accumulated waste. Officials said the entire Palkhi route in Alandi was cleared overnight to ensure the town returned to normal as quickly as possible following the annual pilgrimage.
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