Kacharakundi Te Pandhara Koti

The internationally renowned shrine of Sai Baba in Shirdi was once plagued by a garbage problem. The massive daily influx of 40,000 to 50,000 devotees created such an accumulation of waste that there was no proper place to dispose of it. Residents of nearby villages strongly opposed dumping their own waste there, and garbage began to pile up in the town. The stench posed a serious health risk to both the devotees and the local population. Visitors from across the country and abroad started finding the once-sacred site of Shirdi in an unpleasant state.

During this time, there was a change in the municipal council. Yogita Shelke Patil became the mayor, and Abhay Shelke Patil took charge as a councilor, committed to the city’s public cleanliness. Upon assuming office, the couple, along with their colleagues, launched a cleanliness campaign across the city. This initiative soon took the form of a popular movement, with support from Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. The result of this civic movement was that Shirdi was awarded a prize of fifteen crore rupees in the Swachh Survekshan (Cleanliness Survey). Later, then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to this movement by ensuring the Sai Sansthan (Sai Baba Trust) became a permanent participant in the city’s cleanliness efforts.

The story of Shirdi’s transformation—from a garbage-choked shrine to receiving a fifteen crore rupee award—serves as an inspiring example for other municipal councils and councils across the state.