Govt of India 'not taking cognizance' of life, dignity of waste collectors: DASAM meet

Counterview Desk
The civil rights group, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM), has complained that the Government of India is not taking cognizance of lives and dignities of the waste collectors on the ground, it is only on paper. "About four million waste collectors in India are suffering to government’s disability to implement its own rules and laws", it said.
Stating that most of them belong to Dalit, Adivasi and minority community, it noted, "They moved into big cities in search of livelihood and get entangled in the web of extortion and exploitation by civic bodies. This clearly shows that law in the capital is being mocked by the government’s implementing agencies."

An account of waste picker community's meeting...

Text:

A meeting of more than 80 families of waste pickers was organized by Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) and other organisations* at the Basti Vikas Kendra, New Seemapuri, Delhi.
The Central government launched Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rule 2016 to engage waste pickers in waste management, provide Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) to segregate recyclable wastes and to make the city clean and self-sustainable. These issues have also been the priorities of Municipal Corporation under respective municipal rules.
But community is very much desperate from the ways and means of SBM, SWM and Municipal rules are implemented at ground. Non-availability of MRF is a clear cut indicator of defeat of SWM Rule 2016. It is not only defeat of SWM Rules, it also defeats the purpose of government, extort money from waste pickers and environmental laws as follows:

Government is paying to contractors to pick up wastes from colonies and dump it to landfills.
Waste pickers have to buy wastes from government’s appointees like sanitary inspectors, contractors, divers of the waste carrying tippers, etc. Earlier waste pickers were collecting wastes from colonies at free and government had nothing to pay.
Environmental pollution is escalating due to government sponsored nexus involvement to collect and dump wastes in landfill.

The government is not taking cognizance of lives and dignities of the waste collectors on the ground, it is only on paper. About four million waste collectors in India are suffering to government’s disability to implement its own rules and laws. About 5 lakh waste collectors engaged in waste management only in the Delhi NCR area and most of them are from different states of the country. Most of them belong to Dalit, Adivasi and minority community. They moved into big cities in search of livelihood and get entangled in the web of extortion and exploitation by civic bodies. This clearly shows that law in the capital is being mocked by the government’s implementing agencies.

Almost 80 per cent of waste generated can be recycled with the help of informal waste collectors

In the eyes of law, waste is a resource. Almost 80 per cent of waste generated (50% wet waste + 30%) can be recycled with the help of informal waste collectors and be used as a resource. But the ground reality is entirely different – waste collectors/ segregators are trapped and used as easy source of extorting money by the implementing agencies. If they don’t pay bribes to the implementing agencies, they face atrocities and fake FIR cases.

Concluding the meeting DASAM leader Jahan Aara said that youth want engagement in livelihood. Parent teach children to earn livelihood to live. But the situation is not in favour of earning livelihood. Government should allow all youth to work and contribute in development otherwise youth will get engaged in other activities irrespective of likes and dislikes of their parents and the government.
Activist Hajara pointed out that in municipality election all waste pickers supported the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with the expectation to protect livelihood in waste picking and segregation. If AAP breaches and acts like the previous government then all waste pickers will teach a lesion in forthcoming election. She also expressed that in addition to buying wastes from the new government’s appointees in solid waste management they also pay bribes of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 to the supervisor of municipality dustbins. Many other women raised similar complaints against the government. In days to come, waste pickers will resist at large scale against oppression and livelihood threats.

The waste pickers should be made them free from the clutches of nexus of government-appointees in solid waste management. The Solid Waste Management Rule 2016 should be implemented in so that the participation of waste pickers in it is ensured. The law and justice is in the interest of the government, waste pickers and environment.
#wasteworkersvoice #wasteworkersvoice #wasteworkersvoice #wasteworkersvoice
---
*Janpahal, Waste pickers Welfare Foundation (WWF), Magadh Foundation, Sewerage Sambadh Karmachari Manch (SSKM), Research Institute for Dalit Adiwasi and Minorties (RIDAM), AIKMM, Ambedkarwadi Lekhak Sangh (ALS), Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG), Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

What's behind Donald Trump's 'narco-state' accusation against Venezuela

By Manolo De Los Santos The US government has revived its campaign to label Venezuela a "narco-state", accusing its top leadership of drug trafficking and slapping hefty bounties on their heads for capture. This campaign, which only momentarily took a backseat, is a strategic fabrication, not a factual assessment. This accusation, particularly amplified under the Trump Administration, is a calculated smokescreen to justify a long-standing agenda: the overthrow of the Venezuelan government and the seizure of its vast oil and mineral resources. A closer examination of the facts reveals a country that has actively fought drug trafficking on its own terms and a US government with a clear and consistent history of destabilizing independent countries in Latin America.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Fate of Yamuna floodplain still hangs in "balance" despite National Green Tribunal rap on Sri Sri event

By Ashok Shrimali* While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reportedly pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna, the chief petitioners against the high-profile event Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has declared, the “fate of the floodplain still hangs in balance.”

Counterview

Search This Blog