Ragpickers in India

India has a serious garbage disposal problem. The quantum of garbage generated has gone up and even smaller cities are producing more rubbish than before. The landfills are overburdened and proper segregation of waste is a crying need. And while the problem continues to pile on unabated, the people carrying this burden, the ragpickers whose services almost all of us rely on for keeping our surroundings clean, continue to languish unacknowledged by the government.

Ragpickers play an important role in our lives without our notice.The total number of rag pickers in India is not known.As the nation works to make India 'Swachh', what needs to be kept in mind is the harsh and unhygienic working conditions of the ragpickers. What we

need is a broader framework of the sanitation programme to bring this unorganized sector into the folds of our vision of Swachh Bharat.

The struggle the ragpickers go through everyday is worst than we can imagine.And there is nobody to look after themDespite performing a very useful social service at great risk to their health and well-being, for little money, their contribution to our dream of a Swachch Bharat is clearly being undermined. 

Lets have a look on who RAGPICKERS actually are!!

                                                                    WHO

Extremely poor, illiterate, and belong to rural immigrant families

     WHEN 

Many commence their profession at the young age of five to eight years

 WHY 

Most of them never attended any school or have any formal education.Most of their families are in need of extra incomes from these young children 

 WHAT 

Subjected to chemical poisons and infections

 RESULTS 

Retarded growth and anaemia,susceptible to diseases like tuberculosis and cancer

THEY HAVE A MAJOR ROLE IN WASTE GENERATION as IN FORMAL COLLECTION (MUNICIPALTY) AND INFORMAL COLLECTION OF DUSTBINS AMD MUNICIPAL COLLECTION OF LAND FILL AND as THELIWALAS,KABARIWALAS and RECYCLERS.


      According to a survey conducted in Delhi,it is seen that a large population of children are                                       working in shops, as rag-pickers, or at restaurants. 

1. Not only do the children work for long hours – a minimum of 12 hours each day – for very low wages but they are vulnerable to exploitation, child abuse and traffickers.  The children are also at risk of catching diseases from the toxic rubbish.Many of the children who roam the dumps have run away from home to live on the streets. Others are from families who live by the side of the dumps.

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3. The Indian Government has recognized Rag pickers and the informal recycling sector through policies and law. Some of these are
4.  E-Waste (Management and Handling) 2011 
5. • Plastics Waste (Management and Handling) 2011
6.  • National Action Plan on Climate Change 2009 
7. • CAG Report 2007 • National Environment Policy 2006 
8. Apart from the government efforts , Many NGO’s such as Chintan ,Umeed-a drop of hope, MAD are working for the betterment of Rag pickers.
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11. Government should really look after these deprived people and must provide them with social status , job opportunity , education and look after their health and shelter related problems.
12. Inspiring India