Environment

Water Community

Poverty _____________________________ Work and Employment Community

SSoolluuttiioonn EExxcchhaannggee ffoorr tthhee WWaatteerr CCoommmmuunniittyy Solution Exchange for the Work and Employment Community

CCoonnssoolliiddaatteedd RReeppllyy

Query: Role of Informal Recyclers in Small and Medium Towns in India - Examples; Advice

Compiled by Sunetra Lala, Moderator, Water Community and Warisha Yunus, Work

and Employment Community

Issue Date: 27 August 2012

From Nidhi Singh Batra, Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), New Delhi Posted 1 June 2012

I work with the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) and we are currently

undertaking a study on the ‘Role of Informal Recyclers in Small and Medium Towns in

India’ with a special focus on Raipur and Patna. This study is being undertaken under the project ‘Democratizing Urban Governance: Promoting Participation and Social Accountability’

funded by the Ford Foundation.

This study on the role of informal recyclers in small and medium towns in India is directed

towards inclusive development of our cities where the voices of the poor and marginalized are strengthened and is an attempt to explore the intersection of poverty with waste management

in urban India.

The informal sector in Solid Waste Management (SWM) refers to scavengers and rag pickers that are involved in the extraction of reusable and recyclable materials from unsegregated waste. The

work of this group is labour-intensive, low-paid and unregulated. The informal sector intervenes

at several points of the SWM system. This includes iterant waste buyers that collect waste door-to-door, street-level waste pickers and dumpsite workers. However, this sector has shrunk to a

great degree in recent years due to reasons which can be attributed to privatization of SWM and a general disregard for rag pickers.

Experts believe that the informal sector is an integral cog to the SWM system and are the

invisible environmental stewards. Accommodations must be made at the policy-making level to recognize the importance of their work and include them in the formal SWM system.

Patna has privatized its SWM system and has made rag pickers illegal. Raipur on the other hand,

under the State led Rag Picker Welfare Scheme, is about to provide protective gears, identity

cards and monetary assistance to male rag pickers.

In the Indian context which is labour-intensive, and where livelihood issues need to be addressed, I am seeking inputs from the members of the Water Community and the Work and

Employment Community on the following: Do rag pickers have a right and a method to be included in the formal SWM system?

Can you share examples of how this informal sector has been included and recognized in the

formal system through policy changes or their mobilization?

Inputs from members will be duly acknowledged in the study report, which is due by June and will be shared with the members.

Responses were received, with thanks, from

1. Pinky Chandran, Community Initiatives and Radio Active CR 90.4 MHz, Jain Group

of Institutions, Bangalore 2. Partha Das, Regional Plant Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar (Response 1)

(Response 2)

3. Ashish George, ATREE, Bangalore 4. Shambhu Ghatak, Inclusive Media for Change, New Delhi (Response 1) (Response

2) 5. Randhir Kumar, Additional District Magistrate, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

6. Liby Johnson, Kudumbashree, Kerala

7. Alka Jani, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, Kutch, Gujarat 8. Suraiya Tabassum, PCI India, New Delhi

9. Ramesha Gowda, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Bangalore 10. Hanif Rajak Munawar, Government of Maharashtra (GoM), Mumbai

11. Anantharaman A.V., Independent Consultant, Mumbai 12. Anjor Bhaskar, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi

13. Bharati Chaturvedi, Chintan, New Delhi (Response 1) (Response 2*)

*Offline Contribution

Further contributions are welcome!

Summary of Responses Comparative Experiences Related Resources Responses in Full

Summary of Responses

Ever wondered where does your daily garbage go? Ask one of the rag pickers in India and he

would be able to tell you every nook and corner of the city where this trash gets accumulated. For them, it is their workplace.

Most of these rag pickers are young children. As they have no source of income of their own and

are often street dwellers, rag picking is their main source of income. They scrounge around every

day as soon as the waste gets deposited early in the morning at the main garbage centres. But it is not as simple as just finding the stuff and selling it to the ‘kabaadi wallas’. The garbage

industry has a hierarchal format with there being several middlemen.

Members noted that for Type B cities, such informal recyclers play an important role in environmental sanitation and earn a livelihood too. In fact, there are more women than men

involved in this profession.

In addition, Safai Karamcharis, including manual scavengers and manhole workers, who are

important in keeping our cities, towns and villages clean have been subject to discrimination and neglect. Although various governments have earmarked substantial portions of budget for

enhancing their welfare and quality of life, little has been achieved. In 1989-90, the Integrated

Low Cost Sanitation Programme was launched by the then Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation (now Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation) so as to convert dry latrines

into twin pit pour units and to construct new flush type water borne latrines. The latter types of latrines were introduced to liberate the persons involved in manual scavenging. Subsequent

efforts to eliminate manual scavenging have also failed. The existing law – The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 – in the 19 years that

it has been in force has not seen a single conviction.

The silver lining is that several attempts have been made to formalise the inclusion of rag pickers

in the SWM system by various organisations, thereby ensuring a steady source of income for them. For example, in Karnataka the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), a public

interest group, has convinced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to shift their

policy from waste disposal via landfill to a decentralized waste management by employing rag pickers.

Several municipalities and municipal corporations in Kerala had taken steps to streamline

doorstep collection of waste through micro-enterprises of women set up with the support of

Kudumbashree, State Poverty Eradication Mission. Untill December 2011, when the crisis around the centralized waste treatment plant of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation caused it to be

closed, more than 800 women from some of the poorest families in the city were making a livelihood out of collecting waste from households and institutions and transporting them to

municipal waste trucks. In addition, the Cochin scrap collectors - the middle and large scale scrap collectors - are informally organised with regard to segregation of waste via the employment of

rag pickers.

In Bhuj, Gujarat for the last 4 years a programme of Homes in the City has been initiated by

five partner organizations. Two of the partners KMVS (Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan) and Sahjivan have been also focusing on SWM. Under the Nirmal Gujrat mission the Municipality of

Bhuj invited these organizations to initiate a project on door-to-door collection of waste in the

city. These organisations have since then successfully formally engaged rag pickers in the SWM system.

Pune, Maharashtra has several models of waste management simultaneously at work.

However, the most prominent and noteworthy development in the sector is the formation of Solid Waste Collection and Handling (SWaCH), a cooperative of waste pickers and other urban poor.

However, members were of the opinion that for such efforts to be successful, the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will have to not only support but also adopt the initiatives in its entirety. The ULB

will have to play a major role in changing people’s mind-sets from one of ‘getting rid of waste’ to ‘taking responsibility of waste’. It requires that the ULB support the initiatives by penalising those

who do not comply, provide space for decentralized waste management facilities, provide

necessary infrastructure/equipment and other support.

Members noted that several Government reports and policy documents mention the importance of the inclusion of waste pickers in the formal solid waste management system. These include

the Bajaj Committee Report of 1995, the Report of the 2nd National Labour Commission, the Report of the Supreme Court Advisors on Waste Management, the Municipal Solid Waste

(Handling and Management) Act, 2000 and the corresponding Rules, etc. These reports also

prescribe the importance of door-to-door collection of waste. However, the interpretation of these rules is left up to the respective state and local governments.

The Rules also consider the possibility of outsourcing waste management by handing it over to

private waste management companies. The impact has been felt in several cities across the

country. Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Surat, Mumbai, Kanpur, Allahabad and many other cities in India are in various stages of handing over their waste management to large private

corporations.

A seminal draft bill (the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012) aiming to abolish the scourge of manual scavenging from across the country came up

before the Union Cabinet for approval this year. The Cabinet on 23 August 2012 cleared this new

legislation to end manual scavenging, with stiff penalties against the dehumanizing practice. The bill also proposes a rehabilitation package for scavengers. Agencies or families employing persons

for cleaning of latrines would face jail of one year for first violation, and two years for a repeat offence. The bill separately proposes penal provisions and penalties to curb outdated ways of

sewer cleaning, with workers descending the deep septic tanks without protective gear.

Authorities would face jail term of two years and fine of Rs 2 lakh for engaging workers in hazardous cleaning of sewers and term of five years for a repeat offence.

Members concluded that it is time to engage the disengaged. We cannot ignore the harsh

realities that are a part of our society and do affect us in some way or the other.

Comparative Experiences

Gujarat

Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) and Sahjeevan set up models for waste

collection by organising women's groups (from Alka Jani, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, Kutch, Gujarat) The Bhuj Municipality invited organizations to initiate a door-to-door waste collection project. KMVS took up the task of organizing women for waste collection by forming Sakhi Mandals and

Sahjeevan focused on setting up models for segregation and recycling of waste. KMVS and

Sahjeevan linked the Sakhies with Khameer (Craft Resource Centre) which procures the plastic from them. The Sakhies earn about Rs 3000/- for the collection work.

Maharashtra

The Solid Waste Collection and Handling (SWaCH) association enters into an

agreement with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for waste management in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad (from Anjor Bhaskar, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi) In Pune SWaCH a wholly owned cooperative of waste pickers entered into an agreement with

PMC to engage in door to door collection of waste. Under this, PMC provides funds for five years

to cover administrative costs and provide equipment to SWaCH while the SWaCH members’ sustenance comes from the collection of user fees and the sale of scrap. Members earn Rs. 4,500

– Rs. 5,500 per month. Members collect waste from nearly 3,00,000 households in the city.

Karnataka

The Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) and the Bruhat Bengaluru

Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) join hands to manage waste in Bangalore (from Pinky Chandran, Community Initiatives and Radio Active CR 90.4 MHz, Jain Group of Institutions, Bangalore) SWMRT a public interest group comprising 10 organizations and individuals has, through

campaigning and lobbying, convinced BBMP to shift their policy from waste disposal via landfill to

a decentralized waste management. SWMRT through, the intervention of the Lok Adalat, has worked with BBMP to bring about improvements in solid waste management. SWMRT got the

BBMP to acknowledge the importance of Bangalore’s waste-pickers and give them ID cards.

Kerala

Organised waste collection set up in Cochin (from Ashish George, ATREE, Bangalore) The middle and large scale Cochin scrap collectors are informally organised with regard to segregation of waste. According to them, most of their waste comes directly from households

Usually the large scale scrap collectors have their own rag pickers who collect scrap and they don't prefer to buy it from random scavengers and rag pickers as the waste is not organised and

the plastic waste is dirty, which cannot be recycled unless it is clean.

Kudumbashree waste management project ensures earnings for women's groups

(from Liby Johnson, Kudumbashree, Kerala) Under the Kudumbashree project, women were trained in entrepreneurship development. The

enterprise purchased autorickshaws, waste bins and protective gears. The required investment

was raised as bank loan with 5% women's contribution. The groups were assigned specific area for collecting segregated waste. The ULB fixed the charges to be paid by each customer to the

groups. Until 2011, 72 such women's groups were involved in Thiruvananthapuram.

Related Resources

Recommended Documentation

From Shambhu Ghatak, Inclusive Media for Change, New Delhi; response 1 National Urban Sanitation Policy

Policy document; by Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India; New Delhi; Available at http://urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/NUSP.pdf (PDF; Size: 3.14MB)

Has a vision that all Indian cities and towns become sanitized, healthy and liveable and ensure and sustain good public health and environmental outcomes for all their citizens

Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-12: Volume II Social Sector

National Five Year Plan document; by Planning Commission; New Delhi; 2008; Available at http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/11th/11_v2/11th_vol2.pdf (PDF; Size:

2.75MB) Describes how the Janashree Bima Yojana provides an insurance cover of Rs 20000 in case of natural death, Rs 50000 in case of death due to an accident

Tenth Five Year Plan 2002-2007: Volume II

Tenth Five Year Plan document; by Planning Commission; New Delhi; 2002; Available at http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/10th/volume2/10th_vol2.pdf

(PDF; Size: 11.53MB) Sates that sanitary latrines have to be promoted as part of an overall health, sanitation and environmental awareness programme, especially among the young

From Shambhu Ghatak, Inclusive Media for Change, New Delhi; response 2

Manual on Sewerage and Sewage Treatment

Manual; by Ministry of Urban Development; New Delhi; 1993;

Available at http://urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/manual_sewage.htm Published in 1993, the manual stipulates the safety practices to be followed in the cleaning and maintenance of underground sewers

Life inside a Black Hole Article; by S Anand; Tehelka; New Delhi; 8 December, 2007;

Available at http://www.tehelka.com/story_main36.asp?filename=Ne081207LIFE_INSIDE.asp

Describes how beneath the glitter of India are dark alleys in which are trapped poisonous gases and millions of Dalits who do our dirty job in return for disease and untouchability

Dying for a living

Article; by Mari Marcel Thekaekara; InfoChange News & Features; Pune; February 2009;

Available at http://infochangeindia.org/livelihoods/sidelines/dying-for-a-living.html Describes how in India, conservancy workers – mostly from the balmiki subcaste of dalits - have no protective gears. The mortality rate amongst them is appallingly high

Legal action sought against manhole cleaning

Article; by The Indian Express; New Delhi; 25 November, 2009; Available at http://www.indianexpress.com/news/legal-action-sought-against-manhole-

cleaning/545913/ Describes how the Gujarat High Court passed a ruling for civic bodies to compulsorily insure sewage workers entering manholes

Clean-up order

Article; by S Dorairaj; Frontline; 3-16 January, 2009; Available at http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2601/stories/20090116260110800.htm

An article about the Madras High Court, which has come out strongly against manual cleaning of sewers

Sewer rats Article; by Vidya Venkat; InfoChange News & Features; Pune; April 2009;

Available at http://infochangeindia.org/agenda/occupational-safety-and-health/sewer-rats.html States how there is no data on the occupational health and safety of sanitation workers, most of whom are dalits employed on contract

Provide safety gear to sewer workers who enter manholes, says court

Article; by J Venkatesan; Organization; The Hindu; New Delhi; 15 October, 2011; Available at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2228688.ece

Article about how the Supreme Court has underlined the need for giving equipment, adequate protection and safety gears to sewer workers who enter manholes

Chintan Publications (from Bharati Chaturvedi, Chintan, New Delhi; response 1) Reports by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group; New Delhi;

Available at http://www.chintan-india.org/publications_research_reports.htm A repository of reports and publications brought out by Chintan on solid waste management and the role of the waste pickers

From Sunetra Lala, Water Community of Practice Whose Garbage Is It, Anyway?

Article; by Surekha Sule; India Together; Bangalore; January 2005 Available at http://www.indiatogether.org/2005/jan/env-ragpick.htm

Explains how with municipalities outsourcing city solid waste collection to private contractors, rag-pickers are losing their livelihood

Garbage Trap - Sanitary Workers of Indian Cities Film; by Atul Pethe; Atul Pethe Productions; Pune; September 2007

Available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3070120386399623186 (54 minutes) Set in Pune, this film depicts the lives of sanitary workers maintaining health and hygiene of our cities and lets the viewers draw their own conclusions

Municipalities Overruling the Supreme Court

Article; by Surekha Sule; India Together; Bangalore; July 2004 Available at http://www.indiatogether.org/2004/jul/env-muniswm.htm

Describes how except for one municipality in AP, no other towns and cities in India are complying with the Supreme Court directive on solid and liquid waste management

Solid Waste Management in India Book; by R. K. Sinha; Vedams eBooks Private Ltd; New Delhi; 2000; Permission Required: Yes,

contact Vedams eBooks for a copy

Ordering information at http://www.vedamsbooks.com/no18249.htm or vedams@vedamsbooks.com

Contains 12 chapters on various aspects of solid waste management (SWM) including modernisation of SWM systems, management information system, financial aspects, etc

Recommended Organizations

From Sunetra Lala, Water Community of Practice Sahjeevan, Gujarat 175-Jalaram Society, B/h, Vishwamangal Appt., Vijay Nagar, Bhuj 370001 Kutch, Gujarat; Tel:

91-2832-251814; Fax: 91-2832-251914; sahjeevan@gmail.com;

http://www.sahjeevan.org/ourprofile.htm Runs a programme on solid waste management with a focus on waste segregation and using garbage bins in homes and commercial complexes in Kutch Sulabh International Social Service Organization, New Delhi

Sulabh Gram, Mahavir Enclave Palam-Dabri Road, New Delhi 110045; Tel: 91-11-25031518; Fax:

91-11-25034014; sulabh1@nde.vsnl.net.in; http://www.sulabhinternational.org Provides sanitation services across India and has provided livelihood options to rag-pickers previously employed in the removal of solid and liquid waste in unhygienic conditions Society for Community Organization and Peoples Education (SCOPE), Tiruchirapalli

P/17, 6th Cross, Ahmed Colony, Ramalinganagar, Tiruchirapalli 620003, Tamil Nadu; Tel: 91-431-2774144; scopeagency86@rediffmail.com, scopeagency86@sify.com;

http://www.scopetrichy.org/sanitation.html Works on solid and liquid waste management, sanitation, health and hygiene issues among disadvantaged communities in Tamil Nadu

Responses in Full

Pinky Chandran, Community Initiatives and Radio Active CR 90.4 MHz, Jain Group of Institutions, Bangalore

Do rag pickers have a right and a method to be included in the formal SWM system?

Yes, waste-pickers have a right to be included in the formal SWM system.

Can you share examples of how this informal sector has been included and recognized in the formal system through policy changes or their mobilization?

Examples from Bangalore - The Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), a public

interest group comprising of 10 organizations and individuals, has recently, through campaigning, lobbying, and action, convinced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to shift their

policy from waste disposal via landfill to a decentralized waste management.

SWMRT, at the grass root level, has been enabling community initiatives. It proposes the

decentralized waste management policy as a tool for socio economic development to meet various objectives – job creation through waste-picker integration, reducing disposal costs,

maximize opportunity for resource recovery and promote product stewardship and encouraging local ownership.

On Waste-picker Integration

In the last 18 months, the SWMRT through the intervention of the Lok Adalat has been working

with the BBMP and KSPCB to bring about several improvements in efficiencies and processes in the area of Solid Waste Management

SWMRT through the intervention of Lok Adalat, got the BBMP to acknowledge the importance of Bangalore’s waste-pickers and give them ID cards. This is a landmark decision in the

movement of waste pickers to receive recognition for their contribution to the city by a

proactive urban local body and the first step towards formalizing their role. The BBMP attained the unique distinction of being the first urban local body in the country which has

institutionalized the process of registration and dedicated human and material resources to complete the process.

SWMRT has created a shift in the Municipal solid waste contract for the city from waste disposal to waste management, which starts with segregation at source, recycling and

composting. In addition has also sought commitment from the Municipality to make

provisions to set-up Dry Waste Collection centers in all the 198 wards.

Waste-picker Mobilization and Formation of Hasiru Dala The Approach followed: Bangalore is divided into 8 zones for administrative purposes.

Considering the area of Bengaluru it is impossible for one organization to organize waste pickers

spread across the city. With Nalini Shekar’s mentoring efforts eight organizations/ institutions got

together to assist with registration and mobilization of waste-pickers and so far have completed

5650 registrations and formed a citywide waste picker’s and waste itinerant buyer’s membership based organization called “Hasiru Dala” (meaning green force). The Waste-pickers meet once a

month to discuss issues and find solutions.

The BBMP allocated a budget for printing of registration forms, data entry and creation of a

centralized database and design and issue identity cards to waste pickers. 5000 registration forms for waste pickers and itinerant buyers, 3000 forms for enumeration of scrap dealers and

1000 instruction forms were printed and distributed to the zones. It has also supported 18 surveyors from NGOs to complete the survey and registration. In addition a central database has

been created by the IT department of BBMP. Each zone has access to the data base through a user ID and password and is able to upload information .This is the first time an urban local body

has invested in the process of registration of waste pickers in the country.

Integration of waste pickers in the proposed Dry Waste Collection Centres: The waste-

pickers are being trained to run the Dry Waste Collection Centers. At present, four centers are in operation managed by waste-pickers. Hasiru Dala has been advocating for waste pickers

collectives to be the preferred operators of the centres

The network has also lobbied with BBMP to create a special social security scheme for waste

pickers under BBMP’S urban poverty alleviation program and create opportunities for waste pickers to access various government schemes to start a new business as a cooperative. These

requests have been accepted in principal by the Commissioner, BBMP.

Partha Das, Regional Plant Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar (response 1)

Nidhi/PRIA has brought up the very relevant and usually forgotten issue of the "invisible scavengers" who are looked down upon and considered to be engaged in a thankless job.

For Type B cities, such informal recyclers play an important role in environmental sanitation and earn a livelihood too. In fact, there are more women than men involved in this profession. It will

be appropriate to acknowledge their crucial role and formally include them in the formal recycling business.

Recycling is now-a-days a structured business and it is well known that wealth can be generated from waste. The best way out is to utilise the skills and expertise of those engaged in the

informal sector. We need to appreciate that the poor is never the polluter. For instance, in Ahmedabad, more women are engaged in the formal and privatised SWM system.

Ashish George, ATREE, Bangalore

I have done a study with the scrap collectors of Cochin in the context of collection of e-waste.

The Cochin scrap collectors - the middle and large scale scrap collectors are informally organised with regard to segregation of waste. According to these medium and large scale scrap collectors,

most of their waste comes from direct households and they prefer direct household waste

because it is organised and clean (newspapers, battery, plastic, etc.). Usually the large scale scrap collectors have their own set of rag pickers who go to houses to collect scrap and they

don't prefer to buy it from random scavengers and rag pickers as the waste will be dis-organised and the plastic waste will be dirty, which cannot be recycled unless it is clean.

There are small scale scrap dealers who collect waste from rag pickers and scavengers, selected

items are collected from them and they are paid according to the market rate of each waste,

which can be recycled. Here in Vembanad Alleppey a man collects plastic bottles from house

boats and plastic bottles which float around the surface of the water. He believes that it is a way of making money and saving the lake from plastics.

In the context of e-waste management, electronic waste management has started to become a

major problem causing serious health hazards to millions of people today. The government has

not given adequate attention to this issue. The scrap dealers are also not aware of the health hazards these wastes can create. The management of these wastes is not done in a scientific

manner due to inadequate awareness and insufficient economic returns. The government should financially assist the e-waste scrap dealers to make it sustainable.

Scrap such as metals, plastic, newspapers, etc are recycled in the neighbouring states. The scrap

collectors suggest that it would be better if they could start a large recycling center in Cochin so

that transportation charges could be saved. Schemes should be introduced for the promotion of this sector. More government attention should be given to them as they play a major role in

recycling.

Shambhu Ghatak, Inclusive Media for Change, New Delhi (response 1)

Safai Karamcharis including manual scavengers and manhole workers who are so much important in keeping our cities, towns and villages clean, healthy and sanitized have been subject

to discrimination and neglect not only by the society but also by successive governments. Though various governments have earmarked substantial portions of budget for enhancing their welfare

and quality of life, little could be achieved in this direction. In 1989-90, the Integrated Low Cost

Sanitation Programme was launched by the then Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation (now Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation) so as to convert dry latrines into

twin pit pour units and to construct new flush type water borne latrines. The latter types of latrines were introduced to liberate the persons involved in manual scavenging (For more, please

refer to National Urban Sanitation Policy, http://urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/NUSP.pdf).

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis was constituted on 12 August, 1994 under the

aegis of Social Justice and Empowerment to protect and safeguard the interest of scavengers including safai karamcharis

Under the National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (NSLRS), “as on 30-09-2006, a total of 178043 scavengers have been trained and 453157 Scavengers have been

rehabilitated”.

The Total Sanitation Campaign, which is presently implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, was launched in 1999 to construct sanitary latrines for rural people and to provide

privacy and dignity to women. As on 31 March, 2007, out of the project objective of constructing

112699813 individual household latrines, only 30887406 (i.e. 27.41 percent) could be achieved.

The Valmiki Ambedkar Malin Basti Awas Yojana (VAMBAY) was started in 2002 by the then Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation (now Ministry of Housing and Poverty

Alleviation) in order to provide shelter or upgrade the existing shelter for people living below the

poverty line (BPL) in the urban slums, with a view to achieving the goal of Shelter for All. It has been alleged that manual scavengers have benefited the least from this particular scheme.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a new Central Sector ‘Self

Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers’ (SRMS) in 2007 so as to enable the manual scavengers and their families for rehabilitation in a time bound manner by March 2009.

The aim is to provide financial aid and training to scavengers and their dependents for

undertaking self-employment ventures. Under the SRMS, which is a modified version of National

Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (NSLRS), as on 30 September, 2011, training was received by 178043 beneficiaries (i.e. 23.11 percent of total 770338 scavengers in

2006) and 453157 beneficiaries (i.e. 58.83 percent of total 770338 scavengers in 2006) were rehabilitated.

What do the five year plans tell?

From the 11th Plan document, Vol II Social Sector, (http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/11th/11_v2/11th_vol2.pdf) we get:

The Janashree Bima Yojana provides insurance cover of Rs 20000 in case of natural death,

Rs 50000 in case of death or total permanent disability due to an accident, and Rs 25000 in

case of partial disability. The premium for these benefits is Rs 200 per beneficiary, of which 50% of the premium, that is, Rs 100 is contributed from the ‘Social Security Fund’ and 50%

contributed by the beneficiary/State Government/nodal agency. Janashree Bima Yojana is available to persons in the age group of 18 to 60 years and living below or marginally above

the poverty line. The scheme is extended to a group of 25 members or more. The limited

reach of the schemes’ benefits to the unorganized workers and the absence of direct link between a beneficiary and LIC have been the major drawbacks of these schemes.

Institutions like NCW, National Human Rights Commission, SC/ST Commission, Safai

Karmacharis Commission will be urged to take up SC/ST women’s issues as priority. Implementation of the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) will be

maximized by earmarking of the funds in proportion to the SC/ST population under all

schemes of the various line Departments.

From the Tenth Five Year Plan, (http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/10th/volume2/10th_vol2.pdf) we get:

For the economic development of SCs, OBCs and Minorities, the following three National level Apex bodies were set up to act as catalytic agents in developing schemes for employment

generation and financing pilot projects viz. i) The National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (1992); ii) The National Minorities Development and Finance

Corporation (1994-95); and iii) National Safai Karamchari Finance and Development

Corporation (1996-97).

Four statutory Commissions viz. i) National Commission for SCs and STs; ii) National Commission for Safai Karamcharis; iii) National Commission for Backward Classes; and iv)

National Commission for the Minorities also played a very important role in safeguarding the rights and interests of their target groups.

The National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) was set up in January 1997 as a non-profit making company exclusively for promoting economic

development/ self-employment amongst the scavenging communities. NSKFDC acts as an apex institution for channelising funds through the State Channelising Agencies. Financial

assistance on concessional rates is provided to persons engaged in scavenging occupations

for the establishment of alternative viable income-generation activities. Under the Micro-Credit Scheme, introduced in 2000-01, Safai Karamcharis were organised into SHGs with the

help of State Channelising Agencies/NGOs to receive loans to a maximum of Rs. 10,000 per beneficiary for undertaking income-generation activities. Financial assistance is also extended

to Co-operatives formed by a group of 25 scavengers for setting up of Sanitary Marts production-cum service centres and for conversion of dry latrines into wet ones. The Ninth

Plan allocation of Rs. 81.75 crore has been released to the NSKFDC and the scheme has

benefited 33,725 persons.

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, set up in 1994, has been playing its role in promoting as well as safeguarding the interests and rights of Safai Karamcharis, besides

investigating specific grievances as well as matters relating to implementation of programmes

and schemes for the welfare of the Safai Karamcharis. It also has the responsibility of over-seeing the progress of fulfilling the national commitment of Total Eradication of Manual

Scavenging.

Sanitary latrines have to be promoted as part of an overall health, sanitation and environmental awareness programme, especially among the young. Adequate provision

should be made to meet the cost of information, education, communication (IEC) activities

under the programme, which seems to be lacking at present. The Task Force had recommended that up to 10 per cent of the budget allocation be earmarked for this

component. Out of this, 5 per cent could be utilised for project management and NGO involvement. The cost of training of skilled workers should also be met out of this provision

and training should be organised locally with the help of NGOs, Building Centres, and

technical institutions. A part of the provision should be used for organising safai karmacharis (manual scavenging workers) to undertake construction of LCS units.

Randhir Kumar, Additional District Magistrate, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

I would like to thank Shambhu Ghatak first for the information on the works being done by

Government of India at different levels.

To further where he ended, I would like to apprise all of you that the Government of India in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) has conducted a meeting recently with the

Collectors/CEO of Municipal Corporations and Principal Secretary of Urban Development and

Rural Development departments of those states and districts where there are more than 5000 unsanitary latrines. For this purpose, they have used the data released recently by Registrar

General of India on “House-listing and Housing Census 2011”. The data puts before us dreaded realities that around 26 lakh household in this country still use unsanitary latrines. And again a

major chunk is being serviced manually along with disposal into open drain and serviced by

animals. If one assumes that one manual scavenger cleans ten latrines then, you will get a shocking figure of the presence of around 2.6 lakh manual scavengers in this country still. And

out of that around 20% of that is there in the state of UP and around 10% are there in the State of West Bengal.

Now coming to the meeting called by MSJE, they have fixed a timeframe of one year for

eradication of this worst form of inhuman activity. Although, we have a host of laws and

schemes for several years running now but it is still not getting over completely. Even, the Ministry of Home Affairs has recently circulated an advisory where they have advised that manual

scavenging falls under atrocities under SC&ST (POA) Act. Again, recently on 7th June 2012, GoI has made toilet preparation with up to 26 mandays use under MGNREGS an allowed activity with

a maximum expenditure under MGNREGS to be 4500 Rs. TSC (Now Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan) and

ILSC is still going on in rural and urban area respectively. Pre and post matric scholarships are also being given to the children of erstwhile scavengers. NSKDFC also gives soft loans, and skill

development programmes are also being organised by them. Still the activity continues.

I would just like to solicit the advice of the members regarding the way forward for elimination of this worst form of inhuman activity.

Shambhu Ghatak, Inclusive Media for Change, New Delhi (response 2)

Key Facts about Manhole Workers:

In order to promote municipal sanitation programs in the late 19th and 20th centuries, many cities around the world constructed extensive sewer systems to help control outbreaks of disease

such as typhoid and cholera.

Human casualties

At least 22,327 Dalits of a sub-community die doing sanitation work every year

According to official statistics, 288 workers died in 2004-05, 316 in 2003-04, and 320 in

2002-03, in just 14 of the 24 wards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). These figures do not include civic hospital workers, gutter cleaners or sanitation workers on

contract

Hazardous occupation for both health and life

When sewage decomposes and ferments in a stagnant state, it leads to formation of

hydrogen sulphide aka sewer gas, which has a distinctive smell of rotten eggs. Overexposure to this gas can cause olfactory fatigue — an inability to detect its odour —which most

manhole workers suffer from. Hydrogen sulphide, which is explosive, acts as an irritant and asphyxiant, affecting oxygen supply to the brain and stem cells. More than 100 parts per

million (ppm) of this gas in a manhole can result in instantaneous suppression of respiration.

Less than 10 ppm, which is routine, can result in conjunctivitis and headaches Methane, which is another lurking danger in the manholes, not only displaces oxygen, it is

also explosive

Besides methane and hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide assaults the

manhole workers A manhole is “a confined, oxygen-deficient space where the presence of noxious gases can

cause syncope — a sudden and transient loss of consciousness owing to brief cessation of

cerebral blood flow The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has submitted that

between May 24, 2003, and October 17, 2008, a total of 17 sewer workers who entered

manholes died of asphyxiation. But trade union sources have a higher figure

Provided with no gas detecting devices, most manhole workers have ingenuous methods of

checking the concentration of these toxic gases. After opening the manhole cover, they let it vent a while, then light a match and throw it in. If there’s methane, it burns out. Once the

fire abates, the worker prepares to enter In India, the manhole worker wears nothing more than a loincloth or half-pants. In Delhi,

since the directives of the National Human Rights Commission in October 2002, the majority

of the DJB’s permanent workers wear a “safety belt”. This belt, connecting the worker

through thick ropes to men standing outside, offers no protection from the gases and the sharp objects that assault the worker. At best, it helps haul them out when they faint or die

The Centre for Education and Communication (2005) study of 200 DJB manhole workers

found that 92.5% of workers wore the safety belt. But this did not prevent 91.5% of them suffering injuries, and 80% suffering eye infections

Most of the workers die before retirement. Owing to loss of appetite and inevitable

alcoholism, many men shrink to half their size if they work 20 years The average lifespan of a manhole worker is about 45 years. And if a worker does not die

inside a manhole, the civic body does not offer any monetary compensation for

illnesses/deaths owing to occupational hazards

The Centre for Education and Communication (2005) survey found that diseases like

leptospirosis, viral hepatitis and typhoid are common among manhole workers Sewer cleaners are prone to diseases such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis-A as untreated

sewage contained biological agents including viruses and bacteria. E. coli bacteria can cause

gastrointestinal diseases, and the entry of the Clostridium tetani bacterium through open

wounds can cause tetanus. Prolonged contact with sewer water results in skin problems.

Social Security Contract labourers belong to the unorganized sector. They have very little bargaining power,

have little or no social security and are often engaged in hazardous occupations endangering

their health and safety.

Statutory benefits such as Provident Fund and Employees’ State Insurance Scheme are

denied to the contract manhole workers Services of all contract sewer workers must be regularized as the Contract Labour

(Regulation and Abolition) Act is applicable to all government departments and public sector

undertakings In Delhi, permanent manhole workers get a monthly “risk allowance” of Rs 50. In some

states this rises to Rs 200. The entry-level salary of a sanitation worker in New York is

$30,000 per year In India, a permanent sanitation worker with 20 years experience could make Rs 12,000 a

month

The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has scaled down the

strength of the workforce steadily from 11,000 in 1978 to nearly 4,000 presently. The

contract manhole workers were not enrolled as members of the Scavenger Welfare Board constituted by the State government

Legal measures

There is a 2006 Gujarat High Court order banning manual cleaning of manholes

The High Courts of Delhi and Gujarat have issued directions on various occasions to prevent

manual sewer cleaning. The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis and the National Human Rights Commission have also come up against the obnoxious system

An order by the Madras High Court on November 20, 2008 while hearing a PIL says that the

“entry of sanitary workers into the sewerage system under the guise of removing the blocks

should be prohibited, except under exceptional circumstances” The Madras High Court, in its interim order of October 13, 2008 made it clear that no human

being should be allowed to get into drainage/ sewerage lines to clear any block and “it is the

responsibility of the authorities to get it cleared by employing mechanical devices”. The court also directed the government pleader to file a detailed affidavit indicating the number of

deaths and the number of cases in which compensation had been paid

Under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, there is a provision that allows workers to claim

compensation for occupational hazards. But the onus of proof in this case is on the worker The Supreme Court during July, 2011 underlined the need for giving proper equipment,

adequate protection and safety gears to sewer workers who enter manholes for clearing

blocks

Technology “Manual on Sewerage and Sewage Treatment” (Second Edition), which is published by the

Union Ministry of Urban Development in 1993, stipulates the safety practices to be followed

in the cleaning and maintenance of underground sewers (available at:

http://urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/manual_sewage.htm) In most developed nations, manhole workers are protected in bunny suits to avoid contact

with contaminated water and sport a respiratory apparatus; the sewers are well-lit,

mechanically aerated with huge fans and therefore are not so oxygen deficient The manhole workers use the khapchi—a spliced bamboo stick—to dislodge the block while

entering the dark manhole

Mechanical devices to clean and manage manholes include: sewer-cleaning rods, grab-

bucket, drag-bucket machines, hydraulically operated desilting machines etc

Sources: Life Inside A Black Hole by S Anand, Tehelka magazine, Vol 4, Issue 47, 8 December, 2007,

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main36.asp?filename=Ne081207LIFE_INSIDE.asp Dying for a living by Mari Marcel Thekaekara, InfoChange News & Features, February 2009,

http://infochangeindia.org/livelihoods/sidelines/dying-for-a-living.html

Legal action sought against manhole cleaning, The Indian Express, 25 November, 2009, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/legal-action-sought-against-manhole-cleaning/545913/

1 Sanitary Sewer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitary_sewer Clean-up order by S Dorairaj, Frontline, Volume 26, Issue 01, 3-16 January, 2009,

http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2601/stories/20090116260110800.htm Sewer rats by Vidya Venkat, InfoChange News & Features, April 2009,

http://infochangeindia.org/agenda/occupational-safety-and-health/sewer-rats.html

Provide safety gear to sewer workers who enter manholes, says court by J Venkatesan, The Hindu, 15 October, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2228688.ece

Liby Johnson, Kudumbashree, Kerala

This query is very significant in the current context of Kerala, where municipal solid waste

management efforts have gone haywire. Several municipalities and municipal corporations in Kerala had taken steps to streamline doorstep collection of waste through micro-enterprises of

women set up with the support of Kudumbashree, State Poverty Eradication Mission. Untill

December 2011, when the crisis around the centralized waste treatment plant of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation caused it to be closed, more than 800 women from some of the

poorest families in the city were making a livelihood out of collecting waste from households and institutions and transporting them to municipal waste trucks. In 27 other Urban Local Body areas,

similar work has been happening, albeit on a much lower scale. As of now, such waste collection

efforts of the municipalities have come to a stand-still due to local protests against operation of waste treatment plants.

What is relevant in the context of the query is the model that was followed, successfully till the

crisis derailed it.

Groups of 5 - 10 women were brought together by the Kudumbashree community structure,

provided training in entrepreneurship development, orientation and training, and were supported for preparing business plans. The plan was for the enterprise to purchase a good autorickshaw,

waste bins and trays as fixed capital and protective gear such as gloves, mask etc, as consummables. The investment required for each group was about Rs.2.5 lakh, 95% of which

was raised as a bank loan. 5% was the women's own contribution. The Kudumbashree

Community Development Society (CDS) in the ULB provided a back-ended subsidy of Rs.1.25 lakh per group to the bank, to be adjusted against the principal. In Thiruvananthapuram city, the

groups were commonly referred to as "Cleanwell" enterprises.

The groups were assigned specific wards/area within the Corporation and given the mandate to collect segregated (bio-degradable and others) from each household and business establishment.

The waste collected was transported to a pre-determined point where the ULB waste truck took it

over, to transport the waste to the centralized facility. The ULB fixed the charges to be paid by each customer; Rs.40-50 per HH/month in case of domestic ones and based on the volume of

waste for businesses.

In Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where it started in 2006, 72 such groups of women with

860 members were involved till the end of 2011. The income earned by the group varied

according to the area they covered; efforts were made at the time of assigning the area to

ensure that the disparity between groups was kept to the minimum. The Health Department of the ULB had the responsibility to oversee and monitor the functioning of these groups, ensuring

that they collected waste on a regular basis and coordinated with the ULB trucks. The women members were also supported with periodic health checkup and frequent interactions with health

staff to ensure that their personal health did not suffer from handling waste.

In 2009, Kudumbashree initiated a status assessment of the Cleanwell enterprises and found that

more attention was required on matters of occupational health and other support to these groups. An expert group was formed by the government to prepare a support plan; the plan that

was approved by the Government envisaged provision of insurance, medical care and equipment support to each group costing about Rs.1 lakh, of which 50% was to be paid by the ULB and the

remaining by the enterprises themselves. Thiruvananthapuram Corporation provided support to

the groups in the year 2010. Kudumbashree Mission has been supporting the groups with periodic counselling and training programmes. They were continuously motivated to get into

ancillary businesses such as trade in recyclable waste materials. Though not universal, many groups had an additional source of income from such trade. Reports indicate that the monthly

net income earned by the women ranged from Rs.3500 to Rs.13000 based on the area covered

and initiatives taken by the group.

In 2011, Kudumbashree did a rapid survey of the Cleanwell group members and found that in 52% of the cases, the Cleanwell group member was the sole bread-earner of the family. 53% of

the women belonged to SC communities, with another 30% from other backward communities. 38% of the women were heads of their households; a third of them were widowed, divorced or

unmarried women. Only about a third of them had their own permanent shelter. The waste

collection enterprise, when it existed, was proving to be a strong livelihood intervention for some of the poorest families in Thiruvananthapuram City.

The socio-economic status of women engaged in similar enterprises in other ULBs in Kerala is not

different from those in Thiruvananthapuram. The current crisis has made it imperative for the

women to branch out from being waste collectors for the City Corporation to being waste managers who will help households and businesses set up their own backyard waste

management systems and operate them. In Thiruvananthapuram, the Cleanwell women are being trained in installation of pipe-compost units and its regular upkeep. They will work directly

with households. The new business model is under development.

I cite this case as an example of how concerted action by local governments and state agencies

can develop a sustainable model of livelihoods for the poor engaged in waste collection/recycling.

Alka Jani, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, Kutch, Gujarat

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Nidhi Batra and the group for raising this query and initiating the dialogue on the most vulnerable, but very important service providers “Rag pickers".

Yes, Rag pickers have the right to be included in the formal SWM system. I would like to share

our experience of involving women into SWM in the small city of Bhuj (Kutch district of Gujrat the

population of the city being 195000-200000, city divided in to 14 wards after earth quake) is similar to the experience of Kudumbshri shared by Mr Liby Johnson.

In Bhuj city for last 4 years a programme of Homes In the City has been initiated by 5 partner

organizations, the mission being “Development of Economically weaker communities by Organizing them as women’s groups, different committees and pressure groups in Bhuj,

introducing appropriate technologies for basic needs services and creating role models for further

impacting the policies for urban development.”

Two of the partners KMVS (Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan) and Sahjivan have been also focusing on Solid Waste management, Under the Nirmal Gujrat mission the Municipality of Bhuj invited

these organizations to initiate the project of Door to Door collection of waste in the city. As KMVS

being the women’s organization, took up the task of organizing women for collection as Sakhi Mandal and Sahjeevan has been focusing on awareness generation , creating public demand in

different areas for collection , setting up new models for segregation of dry and wet waste and ultimately recycling of the wet and dry waste.

Here Sahjeevan has initiated an innovative system of installing blue bins in a few areas and

linking the Gwalas (cattle owners) of the city with these areas to collect wet waste and use the

same as cattle feed. KMVS and Sahjeevan have also linked the Sakhies with Khameer (Creft Resource Centre). Khameer procure the plastic from the Sakhies which they can use for weaving

of different craft products.

The Sahkies are earning Rs 2500 – Rs 3000/- on an average for the collection work from 200

properties and waste they cell to Khamer and other waste dealers.

The programme is still struggling to get stabilized in terms of expansion of the same in to more areas and also because of every day problems faced due to under equipped system of

Municipality for waste disposal, lack of public awareness and lack of funds with Municipality. Coming back to your query and our experience of working with waste collectors and rag pickers:

The municipal system which is just used to work on the favored contracting basis does not

recognize the actual work force engaged in collection and waste picking.

This is a very essential and important service which is provided informally by rag pickers. Can

we imagine what would have happened to these small cities if the waste pickers would have not collected the waste from the over flowing containers installed by municipalities?

The rag picker are unorganized and hence always being exploited by waste dealers.

They some times put their children on collection work.

It is very difficult to organize the rag pickers (In our experience we have been able to

organize women for door to door collection but rag picker women prefer to work on individual basis and does not want to become part of a systematic service providing

programme)

It is very important that the local governance (Municipality) and NGOs does a survey of Rag pickers in such cities and a strategic plan to include them formally in SWM is developed with

a clear role to play, which will change their approach to wards life and will also start recognizing the benefits of the same.

Suraiya Tabassum, PCI India, New Delhi

Small steps make a big difference; Liby, your case study cites this perfectly. Women have always

played a key role in water and sanitation provisions, health of the family is a priority for them and

when they get responsible task to accomplish they not only make a change at community, societal level but also in personal lives, families.

Good to learn about this case study Liby. Hope this initiative gets replicated and scaled up.

Ramesha Gowda, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Bangalore

This is a good initiative from Kerala. The matter is well discussed in our new book 'Solid waste

management - principles and practice' (Publisher: Springer) due to be released at the end of this month.

Currently rag pickers and door to door collectors sell in an informal setup thereby earning very

less. The appreciation of waste value from rag picker to whole sale waste seller is more than 10

times. Hence it is prudent to bring in regulated market as in agriculture produce where rag pickers can sell to prospective buyer at fair price mediated by government. This also helps in

identifying rag pickers and door to door collectors by issuing identity cards, so that they can be extended benefits like: insurance, personnel protective equipment, subsidized canteen, some

good entertainment/education in the evening and clean shelter during night to sleep.

Partha Das, Regional Plant Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar (response 2)

Liby Johnson has given very relevant example of informal recyclers' enterprise which needs to be replicated in other small and medium towns. There are very few Civil Society Organizations

(CSOs) working with informal recyclers. Further since managing such large groups of people

would test skills and capabilities of city officials, they tend to avoid such exercise and hand-over waste management activity to some large private operator to minimize risks.

As it is said, our perception of livelihood support for poor and that too women is usually limited

to enterprises of "pickle, papad and petticoat making"- which is also referred to 3Ps of poverty reduction. Regards and best wishes to Kudumbashree.

Hanif Rajak Munawar, Government of Maharashtra (GoM), Mumbai

I am working with Government of Maharashtra and involved in Water, Sanitation and Health

(WASH) issues. I have a suggestion as under:

Install recycling unit(s) as per requirement.

Provide each household with different color trash cans for various types of garbage.

Ask the Rag pickers to collect the segregated garbage and bring it to a Recycling Unit. There

can be specialist collectors for each type of garbage. Pay them on the basis of weight of the garbage.

Generate wealth from the garbage and pay the rag pickers

We will be able to save on the cost of segregation and collection of garbage. This is only in brief. If you want, I will write down in detail.

Anantharaman A.V., Independent Consultant, Mumbai

It is interesting and sad that in our society we still attribute a stigma to the profession of

cleansing the waste generated by each of us. We , in this group should change the terminology "Invisible Scavengers" to "Invisible Waste Redeemers (IWRs)" as their contributions to the

Society is what gives us some semblance of cleanliness around us.

It is true that energy, wealth and resources can be created out of waste if the efforts are

channelized in a structured manner. The question here is will NGOs / Philantropic Organizations would come forward helping set up cooperatives that will be managed and operated by clusters

of these IWRs rather than being owned and operated by private businesses whose only objective is earning money at the cost of Town Municipalities and these dependable persons ?

Anjor Bhaskar, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi

The waste management situation is pathetic not just in Kerala but in all parts of India. However, the newly adopted model of waste holistic decentralized management by Kudumbashree women

is indeed worth applauding. Indeed it is a model that we have been advocating and pushing for the past five years.

I would like to give the example of Pune, where several models of waste management are at work simultaneously. However, the most prominent and noteworthy development in the sector is

the formation of Solid Waste Collection and Handling (SWaCH), a wholly owned cooperative of waste pickers and other urban poor working in Pune district in the two

municipalities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. SWaCH was formed in the year 2007, when it entered into an agreement with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to engage in door to door

collection of waste. Under the agreement, PMC provides funds for five years to cover

administrative costs and provide equipment (such as pushcarts, buckets etc) to SWaCH while the members’ sustenance comes from the collection of user fees (on average Rs. 25 per household

depending on household income and willingness) and the sale of scrap. Members earn anything from Rs. 4,500 – Rs. 5,500 per month depending upon the area, the number of houses covered

and their enterprise in terms of sale of scrap and waste allied works that they are able to get.

Members collect waste from nearly 3,00,000 households in the city. The agreement also mentions that the corporation would promote decentralized waste management by setting up

sorting sheds and compost and biogas plants in each and every ward. SWaCH members also got signatures from all the Ward Councilors agreeing to support the same. The Maharashtra (Non

Biodegradable) Garbage Control Act, 2006 mandates that every citizen must segregate their waste into wet and dry components before handing it over to a waste collector or in the

municipal container. Pune’s City Development Plant (CDP, 2006) also talks about setting up

decentralized waste management systems where by each ward would have its own sorting sheds and wet waste processing plants.

However, in the beginning, all of Pune’s waste was being collected and transported to the city’s

dumpsite in the villages of Devachi Uruli and Phursungi. The consequence was similar to all areas

which host dumpsites through the country. The foul smell of the waste, the leachate destroying the groundwater and the consequential health hazards made life difficult for the unsuspecting

villagers. Eventually they protested, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and forced the PMC to stop open dumping of waste. However, the waste had to go somewhere. PMC found a solution

by handing over the dumpsite land to a private company named Hanjer Biotech Energies Private

Limited which took over the dumpsite and promised to take care of all of the city’s garbage through mechanically segregating the organic and inorganic components of the waste and

reprocessing them. In the process, nearly 600 waste pickers who worked at the dumpsite lost their livelihood. However, more importantly, the city found a way by which it could continue

washing its hands off the waste and send its 1500 tonnes of waste to the villages of Phursungi and Devachi. Yet, over two years after the operation of the plant, the villagers continue to

protest, claiming that the problem of foul smell and water contamination has not stopped. What

goes on inside the earlier dumpsite is anybody’s guess since nobody is allowed to go inside and inspect whether, how much and under what conditions the city’s waste is being processed. To

respond to the call of the growing city and its growing waste, the PMC gave a contract to another private company (Rochem Industries) to set up a 700 tonne dry waste gasolyfication plant within

the city.

However, all these processes and the obsession with big plants push the city and its people away

from their responsibility towards their own waste – instead pushing the responsibility down unsuspecting villagers of slum dwellers living near the waste processing plants. SWaCH is a part

of a larger network of organizations called Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers (AIW) which is a network of nearly 30 waste picker organizations across the country. Many of these organizations

are witnessing the same struggle in their cities. The example of ‘Hasiru Dala’ mentioned above, is

also a part of this larger nationwide effort to fight for waste pickers rights, their welfare and towards inclusive waste management. Many organizations in the network are in different stages

of the process of registration of waste pickers, getting them engaged in the formal waste management through engaging them in door-to-door collection and wet waste processing.

Meanwhile, SWaCH cooperative continues to run its campaign and efforts to promote decentralized, participatory, waste picker as well as environment friendly waste management. In

partnership with the PMC, it has set up nearly 50 sorting sheds in different parts of the city. At these sorting sheds, SWaCH member waste pickers gather after their day’s waste collection, eat,

chat and sort their waste into different categories before selling off the saleable materials. Similarly, SWaCH members operate nearly 30 organic waste composting facilities in housing

societies and institutional complexes. Nearly 20% of the citizens segregate their waste and give

to SWaCH collectors, while the rest of the waste is manually segregated by them. SWaCH has also partnered with the PMC to start off zero waste wards in all parts of the city. In partnership

with several organizations including the PMC, it has already managed to convert one ward into a zero waste ward. The project, called the Katraj Zero Waste Project, is the first project of its kind

to receive an ISO certification.

Yet, the efforts are small in comparison with the amount of waste generated by the city. So long

as the option of dumping the waste into a dumpsite or inside the four walled black hole of a large scale waste processing facility are available, people and Municipalities will be happy to do so. The

need is for people in areas surrounding those facilities to rise in revolt and force the city dwellers to manage their garbage in their own homes – not dump it on someone else.

The initiative taken up by Kudumbashree is indeed praiseworthy in that if it works, it would be a major step towards decentralized, ecofriendly, participatory and labour friendly waste

management. For such an effort to be successful, the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) would have to not only support but also adopt the initiative in its entirety. The ULB will have to play a major role

in changing people’s mindsets from one of ‘getting rid of waste’ to ‘taking responsibility for my

own waste’. Several initiatives, including the Katraj initiative in Pune has shown that this is possible. However, it requires that the ULB support the initiative by fining those who do not

comply, providing space for decentralized waste management facilities, providing necessary infrastructure/equipment/other support. The closure of the solid-waste treatment plant at

Vilappilsala is a welcome measure and opens the doors for a revolutionary reform in solid waste

management. We wish Kudumbashree all the best in its efforts.

Several Government reports and policy documents mention the importance of the inclusion of waste pickers in the formal solid waste management system. These include the Bajaj Committee

Report of 1995, the Report of the 2nd National Labour Commission, the Report of the Supreme Court Advisors on Waste Management, the Municipal Solid Waste (Handling and Management)

Act, 2000 and the corresponding Rules etc. These reports also prescribe the importance of door

to door collection of waste. However, the interpretation of these rules is left upto the respective state and local governments. The rules also mention the possibility of outsouring waste

management by handing it over to private waste management companies. The impact is felt in several cities across the country. Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Surat, Mumbai, Kanpur,

Allahabad and many other cities in India are in various stages of handing over their waste

management to large private corporations. These cities have witnessed revolts by citizens who are not satisfied with the operations of the large scale plants as well as revolts by waste pickers

who are displaced in the process.

Yet, there are equally many positive changes taking place in various cities as well. Waste pickers are getting organized under the Aegis of AIW, and preparing to not only provides waste

collection but also overall waste management services which are far more participatory, inclusive

and environmentally sound.

Bharati Chaturvedi, Chintan, New Delhi (response 1)

Sorry for joining in so late, but this may be useful. I work with Chintan, which works in partnership with the informal sector in recycling. A large amount of our work is at the ground,

but we also do a lot of advocacy. Some of the new but less known results are in the many rules related to waste and policies on climate change, about which you can read here:

http://www.chintan-india.org/documents/research_and_reports/chintan-booklet-waste-rules-in-

india.pdf

The thing is that few municipalities know about these and hence, most practitioners are unable

to leverage the rules and policies to the advantage of the informal sector.

In Delhi, the NDMC municipality doorstep collection of waste is handled by Chintan and

wastepickers, who also have managed to access segregation areas and are piloting a mobile junk shop. In the e-waste space, a similar initiative has been begun - and I can share more details

with anyone interested. We have also trained wastepickers to handle larger volumes of waste from outlets like the KFC, hotels and so on but use PET cutting and grinding units etc. to add

value.

I urge you to take a look at our many publications, movies, posters at http://www.chintan-

india.org/publications_research_reports.htm and ask us if you want hard copies.

In general, non-allocation of land for micro-infrastructure and master plans that are not inclusive, as well as the shallow implementation of EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) are hurdles for

the informal sector to be mainstreamed in SWM in India as are the wrong technology choices

(waste to energy) and the big centralized trend.

So we have a new report, Failing the Grade, which looks at JNNURM and other policies in 14 cities and finds no one has implemented all the rules for informal sector. It's not on the website

but can be shared.

Bharat Chaturvedi, Chintan, New Delhi (response 2*)

First, the MSW Rules 2000 do not mention waste pickers. We are hoping that will change but till that does happen.

Second, AIW-and Chintan is a member-is not about organizing waste pickers but about supporting each other and advocating collectively.

Third, sadly, there are very few 'revolts' -alas. Chintan and Safai Sena are fighting in many ways

in Delhi and Kanpur and Gurgaon and Ghaziabad etc but I think one thing to consider is how to

organize, build capacity and allow for existing actors to be given one-time rights. Nagpur, for example, is flattened out. In Pune, Hanjer has displaced the landfill waste pickers, an ironic

example of how the same municipality that follows the progressive policy you describe so well also does this kind of thing at the landfill. You see this in Hyderabad with ITC. I could go on and

on but the big issue is related to how we can change the way, post the Almitra Patel PIL, which actually gave us both incineration and paved the way for large scale privatization.

Again, being inclusive also hits a glass ceiling if you only allow people to pick or collect from the

doorstep, solid waste. Chintan's work was stuck for a while because it was hard to get adequate space to value add, aggregate, store and sell at the best prices, which waste pickers can do quite

well, if only land is given not on pilots but on the masterplan, so it is institutionalized.

But the better news is that e-waste - also handled in the informal sector and recently legislated-is

learning from these things and trying to set up larger, inclusive models in Delhi, Pune, Calcutta and Bangalore. In Delhi, we began working with several e-waste dismantlers, and some of them

have made their own companies. We are collecting e-waste and the pollution boards want the IS to be part of this again, the IS needs much more than this, but I thought I'd end on a relatively

positive note.

*Offline contribution

Many thanks to all who contributed to this query!

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