176
R. S. Sannabhadti
under the Swachh Bharat Mission states the necessity of ‘organising informal sector into recognised membership-based associations or cooperatives’. However, the
SWM rules, 2016 as well as the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) guidelines conceptualise, only the ‘generators of waste’ (mostly domestic waste) as a ‘community’ in
order to carry out advocacy for better primary collection and recycling practices.
A large part of waste collection and recycling in India happens in the informal
sector and there are variations in the kinds of waste picking households. Estimates
suggest that 1% of the urban population in developing countries is engaged in salvaging recyclables from waste (Medina 2008). According to some estimates, there are
six million informal waste pickers in India (Bonner 2008). In some cities like Delhi
it is estimated that 27% of the total waste is recycled by the informal waste recycling
is carried out by poor, disadvantaged, vulnerable and/or marginalised social groups
(UN HABITAT 2010). The SWM rules advocate the integration of the waste pickers
and informal recyclers into official channels and processes of solid waste management. Thus, the nuances of these households and their operational conditions need to
understand as a heterogenous community for their effective community organisation.
The SWM rules assign the responsibility of the state urban development department as ‘state policies and strategies should acknowledge the primary role played
by the informal sector of waste pickers, waste collectors and recycling industry in
reducing waste and provide broad guidelines regarding integration of waste picker or
informal waste collectors in the waste management system’. The same rules assign
the responsibilities of the local bodies to ‘start a scheme on registration of waste pickers and waste dealers; establish a system to recognise organisations of waste pickers
or informal waste collectors and promote and establish a system for integration of
these authorised waste pickers and waste collectors to facilitate their participation
in solid waste management including door-to-door collection of waste’. It is welcome that the rules not only seek to goad the state governments and local bodies
to recognise, register and facilitate the waste pickers and informal recyclers in their
waste collection practices, but also endeavour to train them for ‘scientific waste
management’ practices. However, these rules assume that there is a ‘community’ or
‘coherent livelihood group’ that exists at the local level, which needs to be registered
and integrated into formal waste management processes. Though there is mention
of ‘formation of SHGs’ there seems to be an assumption that it is only a matter of
registering them and giving them formal recognition through mechanisms like the
issuance of an ID card for them to start functioning. Though the rules are not supposed
to give the details of such measures even the manual of solid waste management,
2016 under SBM fails to mention anything with regard to identifying and organising
such groups as a community of waste pickers for effective solid waste management.
Informal waste recycling is carried out by poor, disadvantaged, vulnerable and/or
marginalised social groups (for examples, gypsies, rural migrants, disabled, elderly,
the illiterate and religious minorities) who often resort to scavenging as an adaptive
response (UN HABITAT 2010). The possible opportunity in channelising the collective endeavour of individuals engaged in waste collection is completely ignored
R. S. Sannabhadti
under the Swachh Bharat Mission states the necessity of ‘organising informal sector into recognised membership-based associations or cooperatives’. However, the
SWM rules, 2016 as well as the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) guidelines conceptualise, only the ‘generators of waste’ (mostly domestic waste) as a ‘community’ in
order to carry out advocacy for better primary collection and recycling practices.
A large part of waste collection and recycling in India happens in the informal
sector and there are variations in the kinds of waste picking households. Estimates
suggest that 1% of the urban population in developing countries is engaged in salvaging recyclables from waste (Medina 2008). According to some estimates, there are
six million informal waste pickers in India (Bonner 2008). In some cities like Delhi
it is estimated that 27% of the total waste is recycled by the informal waste recycling
is carried out by poor, disadvantaged, vulnerable and/or marginalised social groups
(UN HABITAT 2010). The SWM rules advocate the integration of the waste pickers
and informal recyclers into official channels and processes of solid waste management. Thus, the nuances of these households and their operational conditions need to
understand as a heterogenous community for their effective community organisation.
The SWM rules assign the responsibility of the state urban development department as ‘state policies and strategies should acknowledge the primary role played
by the informal sector of waste pickers, waste collectors and recycling industry in
reducing waste and provide broad guidelines regarding integration of waste picker or
informal waste collectors in the waste management system’. The same rules assign
the responsibilities of the local bodies to ‘start a scheme on registration of waste pickers and waste dealers; establish a system to recognise organisations of waste pickers
or informal waste collectors and promote and establish a system for integration of
these authorised waste pickers and waste collectors to facilitate their participation
in solid waste management including door-to-door collection of waste’. It is welcome that the rules not only seek to goad the state governments and local bodies
to recognise, register and facilitate the waste pickers and informal recyclers in their
waste collection practices, but also endeavour to train them for ‘scientific waste
management’ practices. However, these rules assume that there is a ‘community’ or
‘coherent livelihood group’ that exists at the local level, which needs to be registered
and integrated into formal waste management processes. Though there is mention
of ‘formation of SHGs’ there seems to be an assumption that it is only a matter of
registering them and giving them formal recognition through mechanisms like the
issuance of an ID card for them to start functioning. Though the rules are not supposed
to give the details of such measures even the manual of solid waste management,
2016 under SBM fails to mention anything with regard to identifying and organising
such groups as a community of waste pickers for effective solid waste management.
Informal waste recycling is carried out by poor, disadvantaged, vulnerable and/or
marginalised social groups (for examples, gypsies, rural migrants, disabled, elderly,
the illiterate and religious minorities) who often resort to scavenging as an adaptive
response (UN HABITAT 2010). The possible opportunity in channelising the collective endeavour of individuals engaged in waste collection is completely ignored