Satyajeet Bhonsale, Arvind Sawant, Abhishek Sawant, Gajanan Patil and Swapnil Rane have onducted around seven clean-up treks in Raigad and Rajgad.
Five city-based youngsters have given trekking a twist. They not only organise treks to Raigad and Rajgad but have also started a clean-up initiative while trekking. 23-year-old Satyajeet Bhonsale along with his friends Arvind Sawant, Abhishek Sawant, Gajanan Patil and Swapnil Rane started the clean-up initiative while trekking on December 5, 2015. Since then they have conducted around seven clean-up treks. Out of seven, two were organised in Rajgad and five in Raigad.
Sharing his view on the initiative Satyajeet said, "We have chosen trekking spots around Mumbai for this initiative. There is a lot of dry waste littered on the way to Raigad and Rajgad fort. These are also considered tourist spots. It is a disappointment to see such places in shabby condition." Recollecting the amount of waste they collected, Satyajeet, added: "There is a lot of dry waste — majorly plastic. So far, we have collected over 600 kg of dry waste in Raigad."
The funds for the clean-up activity are collected through fees that they get by organising treks. "While we collect the fees from trekkers, we announce about the initiative well in advance. We require some materials to collect the waste and bring down to the base. Rather than dumping the waste, we give it for recycling. That is a best option to reduce the collected waste," said Satyajeet. The group now has around 40 trekkers who volunteer for the clean-up drive. Speaking about the response they receive, Sawant said, "Our motto is to clean-up Raigad since it is an attractive spot. It is good to see people from different districts joining us."
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