Pune: The Dhayari Phata area under the Sinhagad Road bridge, once notorious for open littering, has undergone a transformation thanks to a joint cleanliness awareness initiative by the municipal corporation and a local organization.

The site, known for its "Wall of Humanity," was cleaned up, and measures such as placing iron grilles with flower pots and creating a rangoli with the message "Clean Pune, Beautiful Pune" have significantly reduced garbage dumping in the area.

For a long time, careless dumping of waste under the bridge had been a persistent issue. Despite daily waste collection efforts by the health department of the Sinhagad Road Ward Office, the area would become littered again by morning.

To address this, authorities not only cleaned the area but also beautified it. The creative approach, particularly the rangoli, has deterred residents from littering.

The cleanliness drive was carried out under the guidance of Assistant Commissioner Namdev Bajbalkar, following orders from Solid Waste Management Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam and Zone 3 Deputy Commissioner Asha Raut.

Key participants included Senior Health Inspector Ashish Supnar, along with other officials and coordinators from the cleanliness team.

During the campaign, officials also conducted awareness activities, urging residents to dispose of their waste responsibly by handing it over to garbage collectors.

Senior Health Inspector Ashish Supnar stated, "To ensure long-term cleanliness, citizens must refrain from dumping household waste in the open and cooperate with waste collectors."

Local resident Srinivas Akhade noted, "Previously, some people, especially those leaving for work early in the morning or women on evening walks, would dump household waste here. But the new measures, including the rangoli, have discouraged such practices."