BMC collects four tonnes of footwear after Lalbaug procession

About four metric tonnes of footwear were collected from Lalbaug-Parel after the Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani Ganpati arrival procession on August 29. Crowds left behind shoes, sandals, chappals and boots along the route.

The BMC’s F/South ward deployed around 50 labourers for the clean-up, which began at about 10pm and covered Bharatmata Junction, Jijabai Lane, Parel Naka and the Chinchpokli railway station stretch. The collection is stored at a vacant plot at Saibaba Municipal School in Parel.

Rather than send the footwear to a dumping ground, the civic body has partnered with GreenSole Foundation to refurbish and upcycle it. The organisation said it can recreate pairs where matching footwear is unavailable and plans to distribute shoes and slippers to children at schools in tribal areas.