SWaCH waste pickers begin wearing black bands as mark of protest

As a token of their protest against the delay in long-term renewal of their contracts as well as upgradation of the facilities provided to them by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), more than 3,700 waste pickers from the SWaCH cooperative began wearing black bands from Wednesday while going about their business of collecting waste from door-to-door as usual.

Earlier on November 19, the SWaCH waste pickers had temporarily deferred their protest against the PMC after an assurance from the authority that a meeting would be held to resolve all issues.

Shobha Bansode, SWaCH board member, said that they recently withdrew their indefinite protest after a promise of resolution by the PMC wherein their long-term contracts and proposed improvements would be seriously considered.

“Our demands include improved health insurance premiums, strengthening of basic recycling infrastructure, timely feeder collections, and necessary monitoring staff to ensure 100% doorstep collection, in-situ organic waste management and enforcement against dumping to eliminate chronic spots. Further, we believe that the city needs to reduce the financial burden on slumdwellers by increasing subsidies.”

According to the SWaCH waste pickers, they have created a unique, segregated waste collection system that recycles 70,000 tonnes of waste per annum, and saves the PMC over ₨110 crores each year. The direct, user-fee system is cheaper, more accountable, and more transparent as compared to any other. Over the past 17 years, the SWaCH waste pickers have gradually expanded their reach to nearly 10 lakh properties, providing a reliable, low-cost, convenient and sustainable waste collection service to the denizens of Pune.

On the back of the waste pickers’ contribution, Pune has built a decentralised system of organic dry waste management despite low investment in information, education and communication campaigns or any direct citizen engagement. While chief minister Eknath Shinde had publicly assured these waste pickers that their contracts would be renewed for five years now, the renewal has been pending on the part of the PMC which has left them disheartened and disappointed.

Suman More, chairperson, SWaCH, said, “Despite the challenges, our commitment to serving the city remains unwavering. While we continue our services, we will continue to express our dissent in different ways until our concerns are completely addressed.”