Abijeet Keshav

MBA IN RURAL MANAGEMENT, KIIT

BHUBNESHWAR

LIVELIHOOD AND
COLLECTIVES
A STUDY OF WASTE PICKERS IN
HYDERABAD
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATION..................................................................................................................4
CERTIFICATE.....................................................................................................................................5
DECLARATION...................................................................................................................................6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................................7
ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................................................8
1. INTRODUCTION: RAMKY FOUNDATION..............................................................................9
2. PROJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION.....................................................................................9
2.1 OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................................10
3. TOOLS AND METHODOLOGY...............................................................................................10
3.1. POPULATION OF THE STUDY............................................................................................11
3.2. RESEARCH SITE....................................................................................................................11
3.3. DATA COLLECTION.............................................................................................................11
3.4. ETHNIC DILEMMAS OF THE STUDY.................................................................................12
3.5. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY..............................................................................................12
4. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS....................................................................................................12
4.1. SETTELEMENTS OF SAFAI SATHIS..............................................................................12
4.2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE..........................................................................................12
4.3. TYPES OF HOUSE.............................................................................................................13
4.4. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS..............................................13
4.5. OCCUPATION OF SAFAI SATHI AT THEIR CITY OF ORIGIN...................................13
4.6. MIGRATION PATTERNS, FACTORS AND REASONS.................................................14
4.7. WHY THIS PROFESSION?...............................................................................................14
4.8. TYPES OF FAMILY...........................................................................................................15
4.9. IMPACT ON HEALTH.......................................................................................................15
4.10. IMPACT OF COVID ON LIVELIHOOD.......................................................................16
4.11. SUPPORT FROM URBAN LOCAL BODIES (ULB)....................................................16
5. PRA ACTIVITIES......................................................................................................................17
6. SOCIAL MAPPING....................................................................................................................17
6.1 VULNERABLE MAP OF HYDERABAD SLUM..............................................................18
7. NSS ACTIVITY- LAKE RESTORATION EFFORTS...............................................................18
8. CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................19
9. RECOMMENDATION...............................................................................................................20
 LIST OF ABBREVIATION

CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility

UNDP: United Nations Development Programme
ESM: Economically Sustainable Model
NGOs: Non-Governmental Organisation
ULB: Urban Local Bodies
PRA: Participatory Rural Appraisal
NSS: National Service Scheme
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Abijeet Keshav student of KIIT School of Rural Management,
Bhubaneshwar, has successfully completed one month ‘Rural Internship Programme’
conducted by Ramky Foundation, Hyderabad.

Date: Feb 7, 2021 Signature

Place: Bhubaneswar (Name of Principal)

 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project work entitled ‘Livelihood and Collectives: A Study of Waste
Pickers in Hyderabad’ submitted to Ramky Foundation, Hyderabad is a record of the original
work done by me under the guidance of Prof Prasanta Parida. The results embodied in this
report have not been submitted to any other Organization or University.

Date: Feb 7, 2021 Signature of Intern

Place: Bhubaneshwar Abijeet Keshav

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For the duration of this study I have been fortunate to receive support, encouragement and
advice from a number of people to whom I wish to express sincere gratitude. Firstly, and
foremost my supervisor Prof. Prasanta Parida who has provided constant support,
encouragement and giving inputs to my research segment throughout the study period.

My heartiest thanks to KIIT School of Rural Management and The Director Prof. Nishith
Parida, ARS coordinator, Prof. Srilata Patnaik for their throughout support during my field
study segment. I am grateful to Ramky Foundation for giving us an opportunity to do a study
on ‘Livelihood and Collectives: A study of Waste Pickers in Hyderabad’ for giving me
necessary support.

Thanks to all the Faculty members who gave their valuable inputs. I also like to thank my
KSRM friends for providing help and encouragement in times of need. Particularly we would
like thank Prof. HS Ganesha for his immense support during initial stage of this research.

Thanks are also extended to Mr.Rami Reddy, Director of Ramky Foundation, Hyderabad. In
particular, I would like to thank all the staff from Facilitating Agency for being good
facilitators and constant support in conducting meetings, who also encouraged me time to
time for which I am most grateful. This journey would not have been possible without the
support of Prof. Damodar Jena, I thank him a lot for encouraging me in all of my pursuits and
inspiring me to follow our dreams.

I would also like to acknowledge the many nameless participants who provided the primary
and secondary data which provided the basis for this research. Finally, I would like to thank
to my family for their encouragement, love and support throughout of this study.
 ABSTRACT

Under the Experiential Learning module of the Department of Rural Management, I got an
opportunity to experience and learn about the socio-economic condition of communities who
is staying in urban slum. During this period, I interacted with several stakeholders and
conducted interviews. The following report details the observations and findings that were
made by covering various parts of Hyderabad.

This study was conducted under aegis of Ramky Foundation, which is actively working for
the betterment of communities in general and livelihood of underprivileged population of
slum in particular. The aim of the study to understand the dynamics of livelihood patterns of
Safai Sathis (Waste pickers) communities. They have been migrated from districts such as
Kurnool, Mehboobnagar, Kadappa, Anantpur,Nizamabad and Vikarabad and became rag
pickers to sustain their livelihood and daily life. Also, the project focuses on:

- Livelihood dynamics of waste pickers

- And, their existing problems associated with livelihood and health and also to look at some
of the benefits given by agencies like UNDP
 1. INTRODUCTION: RAMKY FOUNDATION

Ramky Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Ramky Group of
companies that strives to realize the dream of a green and clean earth, since its inception in
2006. The Foundation's five thrust areas include - natural resource management, women
empowerment, Health, Skill development and Education. The Foundation is growing rapidly
with clear-cut strategies including successful collaborations with various government and
non-government agencies and mobilization of additional resources to widen the scope of
engagement in 16 states of India. It has focused on moving beyond the ‘gap-filling’ initiatives
into capacity building activities. Ramky believes to remain at the forefront as a partner in
providing value-added services and a key stakeholder in developmental processes.

2. PROJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION

In response to the urgent need for plastic waste management, Ramky Foundation in
partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) positively impacted more
than 30,000 households across Hyderabad – Kukatpally, Miyapur, Bharat nagar,
Mehdipatnam and Hi-tech city– through a plastic waste material-recovery model. The project
will be scaled to include more households in the coming years.

One of the most profound outcomes of this ongoing project is the initiative to improve the
standards of living of Safai Saathis. Before the UNDP stepped in, waste pickers worked
without the use of any safety equipment. Exposure to so much waste puts their health at risk.
Because of the UNDP Waste Management Programme, the lives of many Safai Saathis
strengthen in safety and social security.

Safai Saathis are deprived of social benefits and stuck in an abusive system. A great emphasis
of the Ramky’s work is to ensure their dignity and social inclusion, as well as to increase
their access to health care and self-help groups. As a result of the help of the Ramky
Foundation, many have seen an increase in income. The workers also experience social
upliftment from opening bank accounts and improved working conditions.

The fight against plastic waste in India is multifaceted and constantly progressing. The main
objective of the project is to establish a sustainable, community-led approach to efficient
recycling. Through this project Ramky intends:
  Improve the socio-economic conditions of 30,000 plus Safai sathis (waste pickers )
 Better manage more than 85,000 MT of plastic waste
 Demonstrate a working model of Swachhta Kendras, social and technical approaches
with strong governance mechanisms
 Create a socio-technical model for taking plastic waste management from informal to
formal economy

2.1 OBJECTIVES

Following are the major focus points of the project:

 To develop support and implement an economically sustainable model (ESM) for

packaging plastic waste management
 To minimize negative impacts and risks to environment and to human health in India,
by enhancing sustainable Plastic Waste Management practices
 To improve the socio-economic conditions of waste pickers

3. TOOLS AND METHODOLOGY

The research was aimed at getting an understanding of the issue from experience of
communities/stakeholders for which qualitative and quantitative methods like In-depth
interviews, (non-participant) observation; was used. It’s an intensive study adding to the
knowledge about the livelihood of low-income slum population. The primary respondents
were youth groups and women to get a better understanding of the matter from everyone’s
perspective. And, the prepared questionnaire was based on age, sex, educational qualification,
socio-economic status, and their health problems.
3.1. POPULATION OF THE STUDY

The universe/population of the study are the urban waste pickers’ population living in
Hyderabad. Hence, the data are collected from the community who are migrated from their
city of origin and have sought waste pickers in Hyderabad. To find out what motivates people
to opt for such livelihoods, 33 personal interviews has been conducted in the different areas
of Hyderabad. The age group of 20 to 60 has been preferred for study. Both genders were
fairly represented. It can be useful in pinpointing problems and generating ideas for
improvements.

3.2. RESEARCH SITE

The research study is primarily based in different parts of Hyderabad because of similarity in
socio-economic aspect. There are four major areas which were identified in Hyderabad,
where most of the waster pickers reside. This was done based on the assistance by Ramky
Foundation and UNDP, working with the urban waste picker population in Hyderabad. Most
of them are employed in the informal sector as daily earners since they lack some basic
qualification and skills. They are mainly employed as a rag picker in their residential vicinity.

3.3. DATA COLLECTION

The method of data collection collected through interview method, and observation. Hence, it
brings facts and information in the systematic order. Both primary and secondary sources is
used to enrich the study. Secondary source of data has obtained from available official
documents, reports and newspaper clipping etc. related to the condition of waste picker in
Hyderabad and other parts of India. Also helpful in developing theoretical perspectives and
practices.
Structured interview was used as a tool for data collection, which includes close-ended
question as per the themes and objectives of this study, through interaction session with the
participants as would help in analysis of people experience, meaning or understanding of
struggle in their daily lives at host place. Meanwhile, the data collected through observation
was also a great help in the cross checking of ideas and perceptions that the participants have
shared during an interview. The data obtained from observation are textual in nature, it
consists of the detailed field notes. While, a considerable time of 30 days in the field to
understand the life and experiences of such people and about their understanding of their
 lifestyle, how to perceive situations and how do these
Sex Ratio
experiences shape their identity.

Femal
e
3.4. ETHNIC DILEMMAS OF THE STUDY
39%
Male
61% Following the waster picker community, the
participation in the study was completely voluntary.
The respondents were informed about the purpose of
the study prior to the interviews, while establishing contact itself. Completely confidentiality
has been maintained in taking extra care of the fact that the stories and narratives discussed
have not been leaked to the outsiders so that it doesn’t create any potential risk for the
respondents. In addition, the findings of the research presented in an unbiased manner, as told
by the respondents with no preference or prejudice towards any community.

3.5. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Even though the most aspect of the research are taken care of, but certain limitations be there.
Since, this study very little human resource has been collected as researcher selected a small
sample size. Therefore, study cannot be simplify in all the situations and settings.

4. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

This chapter revolves around the findings and the emerging problems to highlights the
importance and the gravity of issue based on the livelihood patterns of communities. The
study is also based on the emerging issues associated with their health behaviour of such
community in Hyderabad.

4.1. SETTELEMENTS OF SAFAI SATHIS

The area of community camps is in remote areas of Hyderabad. It is mainly managed by

themselves. All are temporary settlements and they are staying in kaccha, rented and
cemented house.

4.2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

The above figure 1 shows the sample size of the study based on the visit to their working
location. There are altogether 33 respondents including 61% (n=20) male and 39% (n=13)
female interviewed from different remote areas of Hyderabad.
 4.3. TYPES OF HOUSE

All of the respondents are staying in temporary settlements. Most of them (N=30) prefer
staying in rented house which is followed by semi pakka house and kaccha house; 2 and 1
respectively.

Types of House
Rented 30
Kaccha 1

Semi Pakka 2
Pakka

4.4. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS

Maximum numbers of respondent are

Educational Qualification
illiterate and which is followed by people
High School 2
who have completed primary level of
Elementary 8 education.

Illiterate 23 Out of 33 respondents, 23 respondents are

illiterate and 8 have completed primary
education and only 2 respondents have
studied till higher level.

4.5. OCCUPATION OF SAFAI SATHI AT THEIR CITY OF ORIGIN

Rag picking is the primary

Occupation at their Origin
source of income for all the
Business 11
respondents at their host
artisan 1
place. On the other hand,
Agriculture 9 agriculture was their primary
Agri labor 12 source of income at their
place of origin. 21
respondents, out of 33 were depend on agriculture and for others source of income were
business and artisan.
 As per the findings, most of
Avearge daily income (In Rupees)
14
10 the respondents their daily
8
income is around Rs.150-300
1

100 150-300 350-500 550 and above

by the end of the day
whereas, other 10 respondents, earn between Rs.350-500 and 8 respondents revealed that
they earn more than Rs.550. The kinds of income these people gain is daily, fluctuating and
not permanent.

4.6. MIGRATION PATTERNS, FACTORS AND REASONS

Consequently these communities have to suffer from many socio-economic problems. They
had been migrated from their city of origin and traditional agriculture land and return of that
many of them became wage labour to sustain their livelihood and daily life. Mostly, they are
seasonal migrants.

Migration PATTERN
18

3 3 4 3
2

Kurnool mehboobnagar kadappa anantpur nizamabad vikarabad

Reasons for Migration The above shows that most of them are
less cro migrated from Kurnool. One of the major
wo p less
failres
rkmo
avaney ureour reasons are they don’t have land and other
ilapro 15ce
%ava
ble
27
ble
m ila
reason are; a) drought affected district b) Low
%33 ble
% 24
%
rainfall c) Crop Failure d) Inadequate irrigation
facilities e) low daily wage at their origin. Out
of 33 respondents, 34% have been migrated due to money problem which is followed by
others factors such as lack of work, resources and crop failure.

4.7. WHY THIS PROFESSION?

 The below graph states that due to
Who
Reason
Suggested
for Opting
you tothis
Choose
Profession
this
Profession financial constraint, they opt for this
13
11
12% 7 livelihood. 46 percent of the respondents
45% 2
42% chose this profession to support their

be
r
ve
s ds ou
r family financially followed by money
ti i en b
em el
a fr ig
h
m Problem; 42 percent and 12 percent due to
il y R
family support Ne
money problem
m
fa In debts debt. Additionally, according to the most
of the respondents, this profession was suggested by their relatives, followed by family
member, friends and neighbours.

4.8. TYPES OF FAMILY

The highest number of members in a family could

Types of Family
13 be a factor in lacking basic facilities. Hence, the
10 10
increasing the family size has significant effects on
livelihood and living standard. In the mentioned
graph, out of the 33 respondents, 13informed that
Nuclear Extended Joint Family
Family nuclear they are staying with extended nuclear family
whereas, 10 of them revealed that they stay with
nuclear family and joint family.

4.9. IMPACT ON HEALTH

Adverse Impact on Health

12
10
6
4
1

As per the respondents, in this dumping yard, all kinds of waste is dumped, including
biomedical waste. All the waste is transported to the dumping yard by Lorries, tractors,
dumper placers and mini-lorries. Several stray animals (such as pigs, dogs, cows and rats and
also birds including crows, kites, etc.) are found inside the dumping sites. During the summer
season, vectors such as flies and mosquitoes breed inside the dumping site and spread to
neighbouring locations. The people living in the nearby areas of the dumping site frequently
visit and trespass onto the dumping site. There could be potential risks to the environment
and health due to the improper handling of solid wastes. The direct health risks concern
mainly the workers in this field who need to be protected as far as possible from contact with
wastes.

Therefore, out of 33 rag-pickers, 12 respondents suffered from discrimination; another 10

respondents from a mixture of illnesses; and 4 of them suffer from skin allergies.

4.10. IMPACT
Covid impacts on Livelihood OF COVID ON
LIVELIHOOD
9%
9%
44%

38%

Income issue food issue health issue all of the above

The lack of income during the lockdown manifested in the acute hunger that most of the
urban rag pickers faced in Hyderabad. When asked about food, 38 percent of the respondents
showed indomitable spirit, in the face of such stark difficulties. The study also reports that
waste pickers faced a severe obstacles for accessing essential medicines and healthcare
services. The severe impact of the pandemic on their life and livelihood means that, wherever
possible, waste pickers are stepping out for work, irrespective of protections for their own
safety and health.

Post-lockdown, many waste pickers have started going to work, but now they seem to be
confronting another danger: the threat of infection without any protective equipment. Waste
pickers are on the frontline of defence against the spread of COVID-19, as they are managing
the city’s waste while exposing themselves to disease and infection in the process.

4.11. SUPPORT FROM URBAN LOCAL BODIES (ULB)

Ramky Foundation is generating opportunities and new knowledge to help poor and
marginalized communities in finding new livelihood opportunities to lead their life with
dignity and pride. The Foundation initiate and carry out vital support by providing basic
education to the children’s of Safai Sathis. Foundation hired the qualified and enthusiastic
teachers on monthly basis to educate the children of Safai Sathis .Earlier these children used
to work with their parents as a child labor .Foundation has also arranged primary schools to
the children.

Ramky Foundation has come up with a multi-dimensional approach, foundation not only
change the lives of children but in general as well. It also provide the basic amenities to the
community. Ramky foundation established the RIO water plants in 3 states. More than
50,000 beneficiaries get benefitted from them. The Foundation also facilities the skill
development training to people in order to generate employment and self-employment
opportunities and more than 38000 beneficiaries get benefitted from this .A large percentage
of waste pickers, who are unrecognized and have been bearing the burden of gender
inequity, caste oppression and social exclusion has joined this profession with the help of
Ramky Foundation. And the foundation has taken responsibilities to provide the necessary
support such as shelter and basic necessities to all of them.

When it comes to their safety, Foundation have provided necessary basic kits like hand
gloves, umbrella, shoes ,safety cloths ,nutrition, healthcare support and necessary training to
them.

5. PRA ACTIVITIES

Participatory approaches can be used in each stage of Programme and project cycles-During
planning, while monitoring progress and after a programme has come to an end.

In participatory planning monitoring and evaluation the process of engagement is as

important as the outcomes. It aims to shift power from development professionals to the
intended beneficiaries of the intervention with participatory approaches.it is these people who
set the direction for change, plan their priorities and decide whether the intervention has
made progress and delivered relevant change.

6. SOCIAL MAPPING

This map is all talking about how streets are interconnected, and the density of home are
undeserved. Public areas could become play spaces, where trash bins could be added in an
area they regularly see littered with filth. Dots appear indicating where child specific public
toilets should go.

6.1 VULNERABLE MAP OF HYDERABAD SLUM

Urbanization has resulted gradual increase of slums in urban areas and these slums are
usually vulnerable to different hazards specially like fire hazards. Impacts of fire hazard in
urban slum area more devastating than any other areas because of high population and
housing density.

7. NSS ACTIVITY- LAKE RESTORATION EFFORTS

Figure 1: Lake Restoration Efforts

 Figure 2: Lake Restoration Efforts

Principal focus has been on adopting, scientifically reviving and ecologically restoring
freshwater lakes and ponds in the Hyderabad. Community initiatives and multidisciplinary
action related to cleaning, protecting and restoring water -related ecosystems including
forests, wetlands, river and lakes are key drivers to making a difference when it comes to
sustainable development goals. The lake restoration work with local communities in a
concerted effort to revive the surface waterbodies in the city.

8. CONCLUSION

In current times, waste pickers are facing immense health and economic threats in the city.
Informal waste pickers are often the most vulnerable of the urban poor. Largely migrants
belonging to lower castes, they live in slums with very poor infrastructure for services.
Informal waste pickers currently recycle 20 per cent of the total waste generated in
Hyderabad. In this way, waste pickers provide innumerable benefits to the city, such as
lowering pressure on landfills, reducing the quantity of waste for incineration and preventing
waste from collecting in streets and near homes, thus maintaining public health.

Eventually, as cities began to open up, domestic workers were faced with a host of fresh
problems. In spite of government mandates, many housing societies and apartment
complexes were not willing to allow access to domestic workers, due to the prejudiced
notions about the poor as ‘dirty’ and ‘carriers of disease’. In places where they were let in,
there were reports of discriminatory practices, like not being allowed to enter in the house to
collect waste products, common areas and even being subject to dehumanising ordeals of
being ‘disinfected’. Being involved in cleaning work, these workers are at higher risk of
infection. As public transport is still closed in many cities, workers are now either having to
walk long distances or rely on costlier informal transport options like rickshaws, which are
also crowded and dangerous. Therefore, Urgent action is required to mitigate the many
challenges faced by domestic workers- First and foremost, domestic workers have to be
recognised as workers and their work has to be brought under the ambit of labour laws and
regulations guaranteeing living wages and decent work conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown has affected waste pickers badly. Since the
pandemic hit, most haven’t been able to go out and collect waste. The majority of their
earnings come from selling dry waste and recyclables to scrap dealers but due to the ongoing
crisis in the country, these junk shops have also shut down. The lack of work has sent many
into a situation of absolute hunger and deprivation.

9. RECOMMENDATION

Based on the studies undertaken, the following suggestions are drawn:

 The number of covered community bins needs to be increased in each sector and
placed at suitable locations with regular monitoring.
 The municipal authorities and other civic bodies can explore the possibility of
utilizing these rag-pickers in a manner which will be mutually beneficial to the rag-
pickers and society. They can be properly educated and trained to protect themselves
from unhygienic practices and addiction. Either the Government or non-governmental
bodies (NGOs) should make suitable proposals to monitor and make use of these
unorganized rag-pickers