The Indian Express   02.08.2012

300 waste-pickers face job loss, urge Pimpri civic body to shun ‘profit making’ firm

 “Although we have been putting in all our might to keep our city clean, the civic administration and corporators do not want us to continue....,” waste-picker Rekha Sapkal said, breaking into tears.

Like Sapkal, two others Anita and Shobha, waste-pickers and housewives associated with SWaCH - a cooperative of waste-pickers -were seeking justice from Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi, and have urged the PCMC administration and corporators to consider the efforts they had been taking to keep the town clean. They are among the over 300 waste-pickers facing job loss.

One of the women said, “Are PCMC and its corporators interested in social justice or filling pockets of the rich? Don’t they want the poor to improve living conditions by giving employment?”

The waste-pickers associated with SWaCH highlighted the hard work they put in for nearly two years going “all-out” to keep major parts of Pimpri-Chinchwad free of grime and garbage, a task which earned each of them Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,500 a month.

But SWaCH has decided to severe ties with PCMC owing to what it said was its double standards and callous attitude towards waste-pickers. The immediate provocation for SWaCH’s decision is the appointment of another firm to collect garbage under two divisional wards, making the job tough for SWaCH.

SWaCH CEO Shabana Diler said, “The other firm is not collecting user charges from citizens. Collecting user charges is the norm under JNNURM. Citizens are refusing to pay us. If citizens refuse to pay Rs 20 per month for collecting garbage, how will we sustain ourselves?”

At a press meet addressed by activists Baba Adhav and SWaCH governing board member Lakshmi Narayan it was alleged that terms of the contract signed by PCMC with SWaCH and a private firm BVG were unfair to them and against the social objectives of the government to encourage and improve the lives of the poor.

The activists said PCMC’s tie-up with SWaCH was meant to benefit the poor who would get employment and was in favour of PCMC, which would not have to pay a single paisa for garbage collection after five years as user collection by then would go up. “For the first year, PCMC paid us Rs 2.9 crore. This amount will go on dwindling. After five years, they will not have to pay us. On the contrary, PCMC will have to shell out crores every year to the other firm...PCMC is playing into the hands of the profit-making firm and ignoring a cooperative of poor waste-pickers,” alleged Adhav. Adhav said they had even met Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, who had recently felicitated the waste-pickers for doing a good job. “We have met him and highlighted the plight of the waste-pickers. But he has made no promise.”

SWaCH members also circulated note from Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad praising the work of SWaCH. “A large number of informal workers earn their livelihood from the collection, grading and sale of recyclable materials. They are self-employed and carry out the work without remuneration from the municipality. They are invisible environmentalists. They contribute to reduction of municipal waste handling costs,” Gaikwad’s note said.

The civic body has sought time to study the entire issue before arriving at a decision. Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said, “I am going through the government resolution and will take appropriate action.” Civic officials said Dr Pardeshi has worked hard for social good and would not disappoint the waste-pickers. “We are sure he will find an amenable solution,” a senior civic official said.