Pune waste collector Anju Mane returns lost bag with ten lakh rupees to its owner

Pune waste collector Anju Mane found a bag containing ten lakh rupees and medicines during her routine rounds. She identified the anxious owner and returned it untouched, earning heartfelt appreciation from residents.

Pune | November 22,2025:Waste collector Anju Mane from the Swachh organisation once again proved why she is trusted across the Sadashiv Peth area. On the morning of November 20, while collecting garbage door to door as she has done for nearly two decades, she noticed a bag lying on the roadside. Since she had previously found similar bags containing medicines, she assumed someone from the neighbourhood may have dropped it and carried it to the feeder point for safekeeping.

When she opened the bag, she realised it also contained a large amount of cash. With almost twenty years of service in the same locality, she knows most residents personally. Relying on her familiarity with the neighbourhood, she began asking people if anyone had lost a bag. A few residents also helped her spread the word.

During this time, she spotted a resident searching frantically and looking visibly distressed. After approaching him, she first offered him water and helped him calm down. Once she confirmed the details and ensured he was indeed the owner, she handed over the bag with the entire ten lakh rupees intact.

Residents organised a small felicitation to honour her honesty. The owner gifted her a saree and some cash as a token of gratitude, and neighbours joined in to appreciate her gesture.

The incident highlighted the trust that has grown between citizens and waste collectors under the Swachh model. For twenty years, workers like Anju have built strong relationships with households by providing daily, reliable service. Swachh’s four thousand waste collectors serve forty lakh Pune residents every day, and stories like this reflect the integrity and commitment they bring to their work.

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