Hyderabad: There is a natural way to beautify the Musi river’s banks, which has been happening for decades. With the state government’s ambitious efforts to rejuvenate the river and create sustainable livelihoods for the people living on its banks, an opportunity has come to make rag-picking an occupation worth pursuing.
Rag-pickers are the ones who live at the bottom of the developmental pyramid, clearing dry waste dumped on the banks of Musi every day. Whether it is the collection of glass, plastic or metal, the solid waste management industry has been flourishing for decades, thanks to the contribution of rag-pickers in the Musi’s beautification.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of rag-pickers in the city, most of whom have been surviving on the selfless Musi, which takes in the garbage and sewage, but gives waste which can be exchanged for money.
Salman (name changed), is a hardworking youngster who lives by the banks of Musi in Moosarambagh. He is a rag-picker who collects mostly plastic and metal from the banks. He has been doing this for years, and is well aware of the supply-chain, demand-supply aspects of the solid waste management industry.
“They pay around Rs 300 per kg for iron and even more for copper, but there is no demand for glass, for which they pay Rs 2 per kg,” he tells Siasat.com. He also collects plastic items left on the banks, which are procured by big companies, after rag-pickers like him deliver them at the scrap dealer shops.
He doesn’t like his identity to be revealed, as it will go viral and his friends will not even come close to him if they come to know that he does rag-picking.
He claims to be making anywhere around Rs 300 per day by collecting recyclable waste.
Sustainable livelihoods is one of the objectives of the Musi Riverfront Development Project, and solid waste management is one of the crucial aspects of the river’s rejuvenation and beautification. In an already established and thriving industry, an opportunity to channelize the processes and utilise the services of the rag-pickers could be explored by the state government, feel observers.
| Posted by Vivek Bhoomi | 
