- Bank of Baroda’s Business Correspondents Lead Grassroots Clean-Up and Awareness Campaign Across Palghar Region
- Tribal Schools, Public Clinics, Market Zones and Bank Premises Become Targets for Plastic-Free Transformation Ahead of World Environment Day
Palghar, 03/06/2025 – In the run-up to World Environment Day 2025, Business Correspondents (BCs) and Bank Sakhis associated with Bank of Baroda conducted a multi-pronged clean-up and environmental awareness campaign across rural and urban areas of Palghar district, transforming public health centres, markets, schools, and bank entry zones into models of plastic-free responsibility.
With this year’s UNEP World Environment Day theme — “Beat Plastic Pollution” — as the campaign’s foundation, the Bank’s BC network took the message to some of the most direct public interaction points in the region. The goal: reduce visible plastic waste, raise awareness on disposal practices, and encourage community ownership of sustainable behaviors.
One of the most impactful events took place at Prathamik Arogya Kendra, Saphale, a government-run primary health centre serving tribal and rural families. Leading the drive were BCs Harshada Patel, Ashwini Naik, and Leena Patil, who organized a full clean-up of the health centre’s exterior areas. They collected littered plastic, wrappers, and packaging, and engaged doctors, health workers, and patients in awareness sessions.
Key topics included:
- The health hazards of burning plastic waste in and around homes
- The need to segregate kitchen and farm waste from plastics
- Using designated collection points for recycling instead of open disposal
To reinforce the message visually, the BCs displayed handmade posters crafted from paper with slogans like “Plastic-Free Health, Plastic-Free Planet.” They also gifted potted plants to staff, helping create a permanent green corner at the centre as a living environmental symbol.
In urban Palghar, BCs took responsibility for plastic litter around markets, roadside shops, and auto stands. They conducted:
- Clean-up drives targeting plastic carry bags and wrappers
- Vendor dialogues on alternatives to single-use plastic
- Distribution of awareness cards printed on non-plastic, recycled paper
Together, these actions removed over estimated 102 kilograms of plastic waste from the streets and engaged dozens of local businesses in sustainable habits.
Further, at several Bank of Baroda branches, both male and female BCs collaborated to clean up entry areas, customer waiting zones, and branch surroundings. They removed plastic banners from past events, collected discarded packaging waste, and created small green displays using distributed saplings to serve as visible reminders of the bank’s sustainability message.
The campaign supports the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being – By cleaning healthcare spaces and educating on health hazards of plastic
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Through waste control that prevents drain blockage and water pollution
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – By reducing single-use plastic in local economies
- SDG 13: Climate Action – By preventing plastic burning and encouraging recycling
- SDG 17: Partnerships for Goals – By involving citizens, bank staff, and public institutions in a joint mission
As environmental issues grow more urgent, the campaign reflects how local agents — often associated with banking — can serve as catalysts for real environmental change. These BCs not only handled cash and credit — they handled climate action, one village and street at a time.
Official site for World Environment Day 2025: https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
