The Indian Express    11.08.2012

SWaCH claims wide support for its waste-collection model

A week after it terminated its MoU with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, SWaCH, a cooperative of waste pickers, has claimed wide support from several organisations in Pune and outside.

“Environmental activists, waste pickers’ organisations, feminist groups, trade unions and those involved in making our cities more inclusive, have expressed their surprise and concern at the abrupt end to an acclaimed model of waste-collection,” said SWaCH CEO Shabana Diler.

“Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has described SWaCH as truly pioneering, (inspiring) several communities across the world,” said Diler.

“PCMC has roped in a private company to collect waste in two wards of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Their model is weight-based rather than user fee-based and does not encourage segregation and minimising of waste production. The model does not integrate waste pickers and will work out to be very expensive for PCMC,” said Diler.

Spokespersons of Delhi-based NGOs Chintan and Safai Sena in a letter said, “It’s surprising that a sustainable model that included citizen participation, cost reduction, segregation at source, provided livelihood and empowerment to many urban poor, has been shown clear disregard in comparison to an unsustainable model that counters all of the above. “

Similarly, a letter from WIEGO, a global network of women working in informal sector whose members recently saw first-hand work that SWaCH does in PCMC, states that their members from across the world “were impressed by what the waste pickers in partnership with the municipality had achieved. They went back to their countries eager to try and replicate the model or something similar in their cities. It is unfortunate that we now have to tell people how the municipality betrayed the waste pickers.”

Inclusive Cities, an international collaboration of membership-based organizations (MBOs) of the working poor, expressed their support of continuing struggle and urged PCMC to reconsider its decision: “If the decision were to be reversed, it would be our pleasure to once again promote the municipality’s inclusive approach to solid waste management through its work with SWaCH as a global best practice in the creation and maintenance of an inclusive city.”

“The work of SWaCH has been considered a global “best practice” in integrated solid waste management practices. In particular, the recycling rate of 18 per cent and stable livelihoods that this work provides is highly impressive,” said Diler.

“All the groups have unanimously demanded that PCMC integrate all the waste pickers of SWACH as well as authorised KKPKP waste pickers in any doorstep waste-collection model pursuant to various state and Central government directives. PCMC should ensure waste pickers’ rights over recyclables are protected. The civic body should ensure that waste pickers earn a minimum wage,” said Diler.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi has said he was studying a government resolution in this connection and would take an appropriate action.