Thum Creative Paryavaran Dakshata Kruti Manch

Plastic Thermocol Garbage Free Dindi Campaign

From Alandi and Dehu, millions of Warakaris walk towards Pandharpur every year. During this 21-day Wari, millions of Warakaris take breakfast, meals and tea every day. The use of plastic or thermocol dishes, glasses and bowls for this purpose has declined in the last few years. This causes huge pollution of plastic and thermocol waste on the Wari Marg every year. The effects of this pollution continue for hundreds of years. To prevent this, we are implementing this project to use easily decomposing, natural leaf foliage and drones during wari/ procession.

The success of the campaign at a glance

  • A total of 2.70 crore eco-friendly plates & 4.0+ crore eco-friendly bowls (drones) have been used in the two years of 2018 and 2019.
  • More than 4.06 crore Liters of water which would have been used for washing plastic/ steel dishes is saved.
  • Around 1,62,000 students from villages along the Wari Marg were sensitized for de-pollution

Before hundreds of years Pandharpur Wari was started by the saints in an environmentally friendly manner. However, in the last few years, the use of plates, glasses and cups made of plastic and thermocol has increased tremendously in Wari. These plates used do not decompose in the cycle of nature. Millions of used plates are discarded or incinerated every day, causing massive pollution of air, land and water. Hundreds of animals die from eating raw dishes. As plastic and thermocol dishes are heated, carcinogenic chemicals are added to the food. Some dishes use steel plates and bowls for meals. But thousands of Liters of water are used to wash them. Drinking water is supplied by tanker throughout the Wari. Villages along the Wari route face water scarcity in June-July. In such a situation, it is not advisable to waste millions of liters of water to wash thousands of dishes every day.

Pollution from plastics, thermocol and water wastage for washing steel dishes should be avoided. The only way to do this is to resume the use of foliage made from natural leaves. Thum Creative Paryavaran Dakshata Kruti Munch has been working for the last ten years at various levels, including awareness (Prabodhana), to encourage the Warakaris to use leaf-made drones/ leaves in Wari. This campaign is being implemented jointly by Cummins India Foundation since 2017. 40 Kirtankaars from Warkari Sampradaay and Maharaj, Dindipramukh is getting active participation in the campaign. A total of 1,62,000 students from 273 schools and colleges on Wari Marg have been enlightened and sworn in to protect the environment.

This is due to the fact that leaf litter is more expensive than plastic and thermocol dishes. To address this problem, Thum Creative Paryavaran Dakshata Kruti Munch, in collaboration with philanthropists, charities, food donors, eco-friendly plates vendors and various communities, has come up with a plan to make natural leaf litter readily available to Warkaris at a discounted rate

Mission Objectives

  • Promoting / giving awareness to Warakaris to use natural leaf plates and drons instead of plastic and thermocol plates which are polluting and harmful to human health.
  • Coordinating vendors, Dindi leaders and philanthropists to make natural leaf plates and drons available at discounted rates.
  • To make compost manure by organically processing the used foliage and distribute it free of cost to the farmers in Warimarga.
  • Awareness of citizens, students and devotees to carry cloth bags instead of plastic carry bags while carrying prasad and darshan.

Execution of the campaign

The actual wari is in the month of June-July but the plastic thermocol waste pollution-free Dindi campaign starts from January every year. About 100 coordinators and 250 “Waari Mitra” work for this. Temple Trusts, Devasthan Samiti, Dindi owners / Chalak, preachers, kirtankars, social workers, food doners are contacted in the two routes from Alandi to Pandharpur and from Dehu to Pandharpur. Plastic, thermocol dishes and steel bowls should not be used in Wari but natural leaf foliage and drones should be used instead. 

2 Municipal Corporations, 15 Municipalities, 130 Gram Panchayats and 3 Universities are also involved in the campaign. Hundreds of activists take part in the campaign from beginning to end during the actual procession. In the year 2019, 940 food doners have been enlightened through 35 training camps, 65 meetings, 38 awareness rounds. As a result, a total of 2.70 crore plates and 4.0+ crore drones have been used so far in 2018 and 2019. This has saved 8.06 crore litres of water. It also avoids the immeasurable damage that has been done to soil, land, water and air for hundreds of years.

Compaign in News

A Report by News 18 Likmat

A joint press conference with Alandi and Saswad Devsthan Samiti heads.

Coverage by Zee 24 Taas channel

An Appeal by Warkaris and Students

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We will protect the environment ourselves, we will enlighten others

This is the teaching of the saints. We will put this teaching into practice, enlighten others, convert. Let’s implement simple measures and conserve and protect the environment

A Panel of Mentors of Plastic Thermocol Pollution Free Dindi 2019

  • Dr. Mr. Nitin Karmalkar – Vice Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University
  • Dr. Mr. Devanand Shinde-Vice Chancellor Shivaji University, Kolhapur
  • Dr. Mrinalini Fadnavis,- Vice-Chancellor Solapur University
  • Shri Abhayji Tilak, Chief Trustee Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Devasthan Committee, Shrikshetra Alandi
  • Shri Chaitanya Maharaj Degalurkar, Member Shri Vitthal Rukmini Devasthan Samiti, Shrikshetra Pandharpur.
  • Shri Shantibrahma Maruti Baba Kurekar, Senior Acharya, Warkari Educational Institution Shrikshetra Alandi
  • Shri Prasad Maharaj Amalnerkar, Sant Shri Sakharam Maharaj Sansthan Amalner
  • Suvarnalatatai Bhishikar,  Senior Scholar of Saint Literature
  • Shri Devdatta alias Rana Maharaj Vaskar, Warkari Pike Sangh Shrikshetra Pandharpur.
  • Shri Gopalrao Gosavi, Saint Srisopankaka Devasthan Shrikshetra Saswad.
  • Shri Sanjay Maharaj Dhondge, Saint Srinivruttinath Palkhi Ceremony, Shrikshetra Trimbakeshwar.
  • Shri Ravindra Patil, Sant Shrimuktabai Dindi Chief Shrikshetra Muktainagar. 
  • Shri Charudatta Aphale Maharaj, Member Shri Vitthal Rukmini Devasthan Samiti, Shrikshetra Pandharpur

Eating hot food in plastic and thermocol dishes increases the risk of cancer.

Many hazardous chemicals are used to make plastics and thermocol. These chemicals get into the food as hot food serves in plastic and thermocol plates and cups. Eating such foods increases the risk of cancer.

Let's ban plastic and thermocol dishes from Wari and other events!

Millions of thermocol and plastic dishes are used for millions of Warkaris during Wari. They are then discarded. Our brothers’ farms and wells on the Wari Road are getting polluted due to this. This is causing serious damage to the environment as plastics and thermocol do not decompose

Let's use eco-friendly plates and bowls made from natural leaves!

Green Plates/ Patravali and Green Bowls/ Drona are made from leaves that are a part of nature. Within a few days, they decomposed naturally. They do no harm to the environment.

When we go to visit Mauli and Tukoba, let's tie flowers in leaves instead of carry bags and take them !

Every day millions of devotees in Wari use plastic carry bags to carry flowers. Instead, long-term adverse effects from millions of bags per day will be avoided if taken to the leaf.

Instead of steel bowls for dining in Wari, we will use Drona leaves

Some people tend to use steel plates and bowls for meals instead of plastic and thermocol. But in Wari, millions of litres of drinking water is supplied by tankers and same is used for washing millions of steel plates & bowls every day. Detergents also cause pollution. To avoid water wastage and pollution use natural Patravali and Drones.

This is our Environment

Let’s join Wari, be an ambassador of environmental conservation.

Please register your name to participate in the Plastic Thermocol Garbage Free Dindi Campaign.