Project to empower and rehabilitate waste collectors
After the accidental death of three rag-pickers in Hyderabad last year, the government must take serious actions/steps so as to rehabilitate the lives of the rag-pickers as they keep the city clean, protect environment and reduce municipal costs.
RAG PICKING is a livelihood for about 15,000 families in Hyderabad city. They are all living in most deplorable and inhuman conditions, without any protection or proper living standards. These scrap and waste collectors run their livelihood from the collection of paper, plastic, metal and glass scrap, and selling the same to recycling industries. They are in danger of being crushed in the race for world class cities when actually they are integral to sustainable world class cities. We suspect that the government that came to power taking the name of the common people like them is selling their future to waste management companies.
To the government that sings in praise about self employment, but in actuality, they should include them in solid waste management and upgrade their livelihoods. They should be included in the work of door to door waste collection so that they become service providers with the rights to retain, process or sell what we collect.
The Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA), which has been working in the slums of the city since over two decades, has been coming to the rescue of such unfortunate rag-pickers and their family members as part of its regular programmes. Family counseling, trying to rehabilitate child labourers by admitting them in schools and meeting their health related problems, are some of interventions.
The present project is designed to realise these demands by organising the rag-pickers in the city, creating awareness on their problems among the stake holders and attend to their educational, health and other needs. The main objectives/focus of the project is:
1. To identify rag-pickers in Hyderabad city, issue identity cards to them and organise them into Union.
2. To create awareness among rag-pickers on clean-environment, their rights, various welfare measures available to them from various government departments.
3. To identify child labourers among them, admit them in schools and provide them hostel facility, to whoever needed.
4. Lobbying with state government, labour, welfare and municipal departments on their problems.
5. Create awareness among municipal corporators, city MLAs and leaders of various political parties, so as they should take up the issues related to rag-pickers.
6. To encourage women members of these families to form into Self Help Groups so as to improve their living conditions.
7. Encourage them to bargain collectively on the payment for their hard work.
8. To conduct work shops for stake holders and NGOs on the problems/living conditions of rag-pickers, so as to motivate them to work for their welfare.
9. To organise special health camps for rag-pickers and their family members.
10. To take up special drive to admit children from their families in schools.
11. To provide skills development programmes, so that to motivate them to take up income generating activities.
12. To bring pressure on the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to take up pro-active measures so that to meet the demands of APSA by including specific provisions in its master plan with regard to waste management, utilising the services of rag-pickers.
13. Interaction with police officials on the cases of harassment of rag pickers, foisting fast cases against them.
14. To start toll free telephone call/service centre for rag-pickers.
15. Prepare publicity materials like wall posters, slogan posters and small booklets on the issues related to rag pickers, their problems and interventions sought from various government departments, political parties, people’s representatives and NGOs.
16. Special efforts would be made to create awareness among media personnel on rag pickers issues, encouraging them to publish/telecast special stories on these issues.
17. To conduct cultural programmes for the families of rag pickers, ensuring social interaction and to conduct various competitions for them.
18. Documentation will be part of the project.
19. A special campaign will be launched on waste management procedures being adopted by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, suggesting alternate and sustainable systems.
20. Community leaders should also involved at every stage of the project.
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