Rag-pickers allege neglect by AMC; demand identity cards, safety gear

  • | Friday | 27th July, 2018

The official immediately rang his subordinate offers to ensure that the rag-pickers are provided ID cards. Subsequently, they were firm on their demands on Friday.However, municipal commissioner Nipun Vinayak personally met them and gave a patient listening. Following assurances by the AMC officials, they had retreated. Incidentally, it is seen at various places across the city that the rag-pickers engage in sorting of waste with bare hands and feet making them susceptible to infections.The rag-pickers of the city had staged an agitation last month as well in pursuance for their demands. Aurangabad: The city-based rag-pickers staged a protest in front of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) headquarters on Friday to reiterate their demand for their integration into the solid waste management system and provision of safety gear.The solid waste management (SWM) rules 2016 define rag-pickers as a person informally engaged in collection and recovery of reusable and recyclable solid waste from streets, bins, material recovery facilities, processing and waste disposal facilities for sale to recyclers to earn their livelihood.It also states that policies and strategies should acknowledge the primary role played by the informal sector of rag-pickers in reducing waste and provide broad guidelines regarding integration of informal waste collectors in the waste management system.Social worker Subhash Lomte, who works for the rights of waste pickers, said the government rules obligate the civic body to provide identity cards to those informally engaged in collection of garbage.“The provision of identity cards for rag-pickers will not only authorise them for the work they do, but also help them get access to scholarship provided by the central government for their children and ensure food security for their family,” he said.“In a recently held national-level conference of rag-pickers organised by Alliance of India Waste Pickers (AIW) it was revealed that even if the civic body loops in private agencies for the collection and processing of waste, it has to integrate the informal waste pickers into the system,” he added.The other demands of the protesters included provision of safety gear.

Aurangabad: The city-based rag-pickers staged a protest in front of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) headquarters on Friday to reiterate their demand for their integration into the solid waste management system and provision of safety gear.The solid waste management (SWM) rules 2016 define rag-pickers as a person informally engaged in collection and recovery of reusable and recyclable solid waste from streets, bins, material recovery facilities, processing and waste disposal facilities for sale to recyclers to earn their livelihood.It also states that policies and strategies should acknowledge the primary role played by the informal sector of rag-pickers in reducing waste and provide broad guidelines regarding integration of informal waste collectors in the waste management system.Social worker Subhash Lomte, who works for the rights of waste pickers, said the government rules obligate the civic body to provide identity cards to those informally engaged in collection of garbage.“The provision of identity cards for rag-pickers will not only authorise them for the work they do, but also help them get access to scholarship provided by the central government for their children and ensure food security for their family,” he said.“In a recently held national-level conference of rag-pickers organised by Alliance of India Waste Pickers (AIW) it was revealed that even if the civic body loops in private agencies for the collection and processing of waste, it has to integrate the informal waste pickers into the system,” he added.The other demands of the protesters included provision of safety gear. Incidentally, it is seen at various places across the city that the rag-pickers engage in sorting of waste with bare hands and feet making them susceptible to infections.The rag-pickers of the city had staged an agitation last month as well in pursuance for their demands. Following assurances by the AMC officials, they had retreated. Subsequently, they were firm on their demands on Friday.However, municipal commissioner Nipun Vinayak personally met them and gave a patient listening. The official immediately rang his subordinate offers to ensure that the rag-pickers are provided ID cards.

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