Ragpickers And GHMC’s Safai Saathis Worked Together To Ensure NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2025

Hyderabad: The 14th Edition of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon has not only been a celebration of fitness and endurance but also a milestone in sustainability. For the first time, the marathon witnessed the powerful involvement of ragpickers and GHMC’s Safai Saathis, who worked shoulder to shoulder with the sustainability team to ensure the event left no trace of waste behind.

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At the start line in People’s Plaza, 10 ragpickers played a crucial role in waste segregation, while at the finish line in Gachibowli Stadium, 60 GHMC Safai Saathis, with wholehearted support from Dr. Srikanth Reddy, AMOH, Serilingampally Circle, GHMC, along with the Sustainability team of the Marathon, guaranteed that the large amounts of waste were systematically segregated, channelling wet waste into composting and dry waste into recycling. The entire team’s collective efforts were pivotal in achieving the marathon’s ambitious goal of “Zero Waste to Landfills.”

Race Director Rajesh Vetcha, along with sustainability champions Venkat Ankam and VISVA Sustainable Foundation, led this unique collaboration. Together, they proved that true sustainability is possible only when every section of society is included and respected.

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“This initiative was not just about cleaning up after a marathon; it is about breaking barriers of social inequality and giving due recognition to those who safeguard our city every single day,” said Race Director Rajesh Vetcha.

“A staggering 3.7 tons of waste was meticulously segregated at the Gachibowli Stadium and along the entire marathon route, leaving it spotless. This remarkable achievement was made possible by the tireless dedication of GHMC’s Safai Saathis and the city’s ragpickers — the unsung champions who proved that a marathon’s legacy is measured not in medals, but in how clean we leave our city behind,” said Dr Srikanth Reddy of GHMC.

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“We often celebrate runners for crossing the finish line, but the true finish line of the Hyderabad Marathon was crossed by the ragpickers and GHMC Safai Saathis. Without their hands and hearts, zero-waste would have remained just a slogan. Recognising them is not charity — it is justice,” said sustainability lead Venkat Ankam.

For decades, ragpickers and sanitation workers have been invisible to many, often looked down upon despite their vital role in urban life. The Hyderabad Marathon has set a new precedent by placing them at the heart of one of India’s largest sporting events, honouring them as Green Heroes who helped the marathon cross the finish line of sustainability. As thousands of runners celebrated their personal victories, the city also celebrated a collective one – a cleaner, greener Hyderabad built on dignity, respect, and partnership.

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The NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2025, aligned with the ‘Athletics for a Better World’ sustainability standard by World Athletics, set new benchmarks by achieving zero waste to landfills through 100% segregation, eliminating single-use plastics at all aid stations, offering plastic-free breakfasts, reducing 30% tee shirts, promoting low-carbon transport, upcycling flex banners, ensuring clean routes and AQI monitoring, engaging ragpickers and specially abled citizens, introducing sustainable trophies, and adopting responsible local procurement — establishing the Hyderabad Marathon as not just a race, but a benchmark for sustainable events worldwide.

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