1 Lakh hungry people fed using surplus food from weddings

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

This year’s wedding season has ended, with the next auspicious dates beginning in February. Hundreds of weddings took place in the city, and with them comes the inevitable issue of food wastage. To curb this, the Anna Bachav Samiti and the Roti Bank ensured that good-quality leftover food reached the needy instead of being thrown away. Since Diwali, the initiative has provided one meal to one lakh hungry people, a mission the group has been running for 12 years.

The committee remains in touch with major caterers and marriage halls. Whenever surplus food is reported, the Roti Bank team collects it using auto-rickshaws and distributes it maintaining hygiene standards to patients in government hospitals, people living under flyovers, and other homeless citizens. During the wedding dates after Diwali alone, food sufficient for 1,000 to 1,200 people was distributed per wedding, benefiting nearly 96,000 individuals.

How the initiative works

Members of the committee conduct awareness campaigns before the wedding season, urging caterers to inform them of any leftover food. Once notified, the Roti Bank team collects and distributes it across hospitals, shelters and slum pockets. Around 100 volunteers and four rickshaws support the daily operations, said Yusuf Mukati.

“We work to create awareness among people. In Indian culture, leaving a clean plate is a value. We spread this message, and the response has been very positive.”

— Anant Motaale, founder, Anna Bachav Committee