Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 26: Ragpickers do not have a steady income. They are not in possession of ration cards and Aadhar cards. Deprived of all facilities, they have been playing a major role in keeping the city clean.

For the first time, the city corporation here has issued identity cards to the ragpickers and brought a ray of hope in their otherwise dull life. 

Representational image

The Central government, under its 'Swachh Bharat' scheme, had asked the local administrative bodies to identify the ragpickers who indirectly extend a helping hand to maintain the cleanliness of towns and cities. The corporation identified 40 such people and issued identity cards to them. Later they were absorbed in garbage disposal work by Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd to which the contract for garbage collection has been given. 

The city corporation had given the responsibility of identifying people helping to keep the city clean by picking the waste, to non-governmental organizations In 2019 - 20 Hasiru Dala and APD Foundation conducted a survey and identified 156 such people. Now the corporation is in the process of issuing identity cards to them. The cards contain their names, addresses photos, and the roads and wards they can collect the waste from.  

Many of the ragpickers are migrants from north Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu who have opted to do this work for a living. They start this work early in the morning. Over 40 live in Pachanady area. As they are very poor and strangers, people do not rent their houses to them. They collect plastic and metal things which they sell to scrap dealers and earn something.

Hasiru Dala: Hasiru Dala, a voluntary organization started in Bengaluru in the year 2010, has been working for the welfare of ragpickers. The organization has been doing work in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Tumakuru and some other cities. The organization identifies ragpickers and educates them about hygiene on cleanliness. Medical camps have been organized for them. They were unable to open bank accounts as they do not have Aadhar cards and other records. Vanishree, the Mangaluru coordinator of Hasiru Dala, says that some facilities may be made available to them as they now hold identity cards. 

City mayor, Diwakar Pandeshwar, says that the ragpickers are being issued identity cards towards scientific disposal of waste. He said that on Gandhi Jayanti, identity cards were issued to a few symbolically. "In the coming days, the cards will be issued to all 156 of them," he stated. He said that the city corporation has issued masks and gloves to them and their health checks have also been performed. He stated that a study will be conducted into what government facilities can be extended to help them.