Skip to main content

Waste pickers face respiratory, musculo-skeletal, gastrointestinal ailments, social stigma

By Sheshu Babu*
In cities and towns, one often comes across heaps of garbage on roadsides and poor -- mostly slum dwellers, children -- hovering around the pile. These people are mostly ignored by authorities as well as rich and middle-class elites. Waste pickers are the lowest in the hierarchy of urban informal occupation.
The term 'waste picker' was adopted in the First World Conference of Waste Pickers in Bogota, Columbia in 2008 to facilitate global networking and supplant derogatory words like 'scavenger'. Work situation differs greatly across countries but the common thing is that this work is their livelihood and often supports their families.
Number of waste pickers in the country is not easily available. Some estimates city- wise have been recorded. For instance, in Ahmedabad, they are estimated to be about 30,000 mostly women and children. In the state of Gujarat, according to a study, there are estimated 100,000 waste pickers. Delhi alone has approximately 100,000 waste pickers according to another study. Pune has 6,000, of whom 72% are women, according to a study.
Brazil is the only nation that systematically captures and reports statistical data on waste pickers. Data collected by Brazil's official system found that over 2,29,000 did this work in 2008.
According to statistics published in 'Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture' e where wastepickers have been identified, they represent less than 1% of urban workforce: 0.1-0.4% in seven West African cities, 0.7% in South Africa (including both formal and informal waste pickers) , 0.1% in India.
These small percentages, however, represent large number of people. Because of the challenges of gathering data on waste pickers, the estimates may be low. According to some estimates, there are about 1.5 million to 4 million waste pickers in India. They segregate, clean, sort and sell waste to make a living.
An IEMS study found that majority of waste pickers had generally low levels of formal education. In many areas, the work was done by disadvantaged groups. For example in Pune, India, the work is largely confined to scheduled castes.
Waste picking is generally a family business with flexible working hours requiring little or no education. It is highly adaptable and can be learned easily with little training. For the poorest of poor in the world, it is one of the only livelihood options.
However, waste workers often face social stigma, poor working conditions and they are frequently harassed. They suffer from occupational related musculo-skeletal problems, respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. They face problems from both the police and municipal authorities. They have no social security benefits.
According to a study published in the "International Research Journal of Environment Sciences" titled 'Studies on the Solid Waste Collection by Rag Pickers at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, India', 94% of the 150 waste pickers interviewed in the Jawahar Nagar landfill in Hyderabad stated that they choose this job as no other alternative was available to them. Thus, many of them are forced to work picking up waste.
With the concept of 'e-waste', solid waste management, recycling waste, have made the work of these pickers more valuable. As metals like iron, copper, etc can be extracted from the waste thrown out, these rag pickers can be a valuable addition to the chain of environmental protection cycle.
By gathering the material, they can help not only cleaning cities from garbage but also assist in the process of recycling and reusing material so that waste can be used without destruction. Society must recognize value of waste picker and must show compassion. Activists should struggle for uplifting these poverty-stricken workers and force governments to take note of their sufferings.
Many of them even work without a minimum wage. Decent wage and medical facility must be given to them along with education and nutrition to the children who are forced into working to feed their parents. Collection centers in cities should provide equipment for gathering and disposal of waste. For clean and green cities and towns (and even villages) , waste pickers are crucial and valuable .
---
*The writer from anywhere and every where supports the rights of poor and downtrodden

Comments

Rasel said…
Thank you for sharing this useful post with us. I have a business of manufacturing. Where i'm sell best manufacturer product. If you want to read more please visit this website.
reena said…

I recently found many useful information in your website especially this blog page. Among the lots of comments on your articles. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you very much for t

TRENDING

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk  As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah*   One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”