Today Bangalore is breathing a sigh of relief from its garbage
crisis, but many Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s contract
pourakarmikas are yet to get paid. On Women’s Day many women
pourakarmikas ‘Express’ spoke to said that they have either borrowed
money or pledged their gold to make ends meet.

Jayamma (40), who
has been sweeping the roads of Coconut Garden Layout at Nagarbhavi ward
for the past five years, said she has not been paid her salary of `5,054
for the past four months. Since her husband died of cancer a few months
ago she is the only breadwinner and has to ensure that her daughters
goes to school. “I stay in a rented house near Amarjyothinagar and has
to pay `1,800 per month for rent. If I do not pay rent, my landlord will
throw me out. How can I survive in the city (without a house) with my
two teenage daughters. The city is not safe,” she said. Jayamma said she
has borrowed `10,000 from a lender and has to repay with interest.

The
story of Maniyamma, another pourakarmika working at Rajajinagar is no
different. Her husband met with an accident two months ago and is now at
home.

“He is not able to work at present. With this, the money we
were getting from him has stopped. With no earnings, I had to pledge my
gold earrings for `8,500 at a pawn broker shop. I have three children,
all of them are too young to work,” she said.