The Sad Art of Rag Picking

The population explosion has ensured greater migration from the villages to the cities. Waste is a natural byproduct of large and overcrowded cities with poor infrastructure. Garbage piles in public places are a common site in Indian cities and towns. Since there is no reliable system of waste management, the product of waste is left to care for itself. Rag picking, while socially deplorable, is a valuable service whose benefits are not immediately visible. It does not get factored into our economics but it is estimated by some experts to be a mini enterprise in itself running into a few crores a year. In the absence of clear and enforceable policies on waste disposal and management, this service can not be overestimated. This faceless army braves inclement weather, unbearable odor and filthy ‘working condition’ to select, sort and sell waste. While rag picking may not solve the problem of India’s waste by any stretch of the imagination, it would be fair to say that the problem would have been worse had it not been for their silent intervention.

                              Unlike in the developed world where there is greater awareness on waste and it’s potential to scar the environment, India and other countries of the developing world, have no effective policy to tackle the issue of the waste. The mantra of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” is not on the lips or on the agendas of our policy makers, industry or citizenry. Terms like ‘conservation and eco-friendly’ are still to permit our public lexicon and awareness. Thanks to the media, the problem of waste has been put into the limelight, forcing people and politicians to think about it, even if we cannot do much bout it. Hopefully, in the years to come more social enlightenment, political will and technologies to contain the waste problem will come about. Till then, let us treat the rag picking community with more respect community with more respect, since they actually provide a very valuable service, even if they are not recognized and compensated for this adequately.