What began as a mountain of discarded footwear after the Ganpati idol arrival procession in Lalbaug-Parel is now being given a second life. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched an unusual recycling initiative to refurbish the lost and abandoned footwear and provide it to schoolchildren in tribal areas.
Thousands of devotees gathered in Lalbaug-Parel on August 29 for the Ganesh idol arrival processions. As the crowds danced and moved through the streets, many left behind sandals, chappals, shoes and even boots.
By the end of the celebrations, the BMC’s solid waste management department faced an unusual addition to its post-procession clean-up: tonnes of discarded footwear scattered across the area.
Civic officials said around four metric tonnes of footwear — roughly the equivalent of one dumper load — was collected from areas including Bharatmata Junction, Jijabai Lane and the stretch near Chinchpokli railway station.
The collected footwear is currently being stored at a vacant plot at Saibaba Municipal School in Parel.
“Ganeshotsav in Lalbaug-Parel is unique. We have several idol workshops here, and many mandals visit the area. On the day of the aagman, thousands of devotees come to the ward. On August 29, Chintamani Ganpati was welcomed, and there was a huge crowd. After dancing during the procession, many devotees discarded their footwear,” said Vrushali Ingule, assistant commissioner of the F/South ward.
Civic workers began the clean-up operation at around 10pm, with approximately 50 sanitation workers deployed between Bharatmata Junction and Parel Naka.
“We had our dumpers and sanitation workers ready. A team of around 50 labourers was deployed from Bharatmata Junction to Parel Naka,” Ingule said.
Normally, footwear collected during such large public events would be sent to a dumping ground. This time, however, the BMC has found a more sustainable use for it.
The civic body has partnered with the GreenSole Foundation, an NGO that specialises in refurbishing and upcycling discarded footwear. The organisation plans to transform the usable footwear into shoes and slippers for children studying in schools in tribal areas.
“We will distribute shoes and slippers among children in tribal areas,” said Raju Srinivas, founder of the GreenSole Foundation. He said the organisation had already conducted needs assessments at schools serving tribal communities and also provides school bags and mats based on requirements.
The first collection, made during the Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani aagman procession, amounted to about one dumper load.
Not all the footwear was collected in pairs, but that is not expected to stop the recycling effort. “Sometimes we don’t get footwear in pairs, but we recreate them,” Srinivas said.
The BMC approached the foundation after seeing its work on social media. The NGO later submitted a proposal to collect, recycle and refurbish footwear discarded during Ganpati processions.
What would ordinarily have ended up as waste could therefore soon find its way onto the feet of children who need it — turning the aftermath of one of Mumbai’s biggest festive gatherings into an unexpected act of reuse and community support.
