The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Seeking livelihood in the midst of garbage

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Thursday, Jun 19, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Seeking livelihood in the midst of garbage

D.V.L Padma Priya

Migrants sift through dump yard to earn a living

Rag-pickers do their bit for environment by picking up recyclable solid waste
They are vulnerable to malaria and lung infections apart from skin diseases

-PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Unhygienic conditions: Rag-pickers picking up the garbage at Jawaharnagar dumping yard.

HYDERABAD: Children with sacks on their shoulder near garbage bins and dumps are a common sight. But one finds not only children, but people of all age groups at the vicinity of the city’s biggest dumping yard at Jawaharnagar, sifting through the garbage to earn a living.

Hailing from Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, they moved to city when their survival as farm labourers became difficult. For Shekar, waste is his only source of livelihood. “I studied up to eighth class when I moved from Kurnool to the city. Now sifting through garbage is my vocation,” he said. For many like 14-year-old Varalakshmi and 10-year-old Mahalakshmi, the dump yard is their succour and home. “The law may warrant children up to 14 years to be in schools. But for these children, the priority right now is their survival,” said Ravinder Reddy, in-charge of the site.

No system

Ironically, with no system to segregate the solid waste, the rag pickers numbering around 250 do their bit for the environment by picking up recyclable solid waste dumped at the site. They walk all day in the 340 acres dump yard sifting through the sludge and waste, for milk packets, plastic bottles, metal caps, zippers, cartons, glass bottles etc.

According to Narsamma, each one of them collects about 40 kg of waste per day. Every kilogram of discarded milk sachets or plastic earns them about 10 rupees whereas metal objects like zippers or cans get them 50 rupees per kilogram. “Earlier, it used to take us at least three days to collect a kilogram of metal, but nowadays, we collect close to 10 kg of metal per person per day,” said Vrukund, another rag picker.

No ration cards

Exposed to health hazards all the time, their common ailments are malaria and lung infections apart from skin infections.

“Many of us have burnt our fingers while trying to collect metal from the burning garbage. As we are migrants with no white ration cards, we have no other option but to pay up the attenders at government hospitals before we get to meet the doctors,” said Lakshmi.

Their source of food is the garbage dump again, looking for anything that is edible like meat and fruits. Inflation has hit them the hardest.

“With the increased price of rice and pulses, we eat a proper meal only thrice a week,” said Archana. “These people virtually live off garbage. They don’t even have access to drinking water,” said Ravinder.

Rain or shine, for these rag pickers, garbage continues as their source of living till a concrete solid waste management plan is in place along with a rehabilitation plan.

According to GHMC officials at the site, the rag pickers collect close to 60 per cent of plastic and metal from various points in the city.

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