Hyderabad: Dozens of ragpickers in Motinagar and Filmnagar hit the streets every morning to collect waste, working without protective clothing or official support. While officials say Kaithalapur has a formal garbage transfer station with registered employees, ragpickers in other areas tell a different story of daily struggles and invisibility.
“We come every morning to collect plastic, paper and scrap. We leave it in the drum and earn a little money,” one ragpicker said. He added that they are rarely provided with masks or gloves. “Hum kachra wala hain na, humko koi bhi nahi puchhta (We are garbage collectors, no one cares about us),” he said when asked about the harassment they face.
The GHMC claims it has taken steps to support and formalise ragpickers’ work, offering biometric ID cards, drop-off facilities at DRCCs, regular health camps including gynaecology care and Rs 5 meals through Annapurna Canteens. Yet, most ragpickers say they haven’t received ID cards or any meaningful assistance. Their routine remains the same: collecting waste from yards and selling it to scrap dealers.
“Doing nothing, going home, sleeping and coming back—that’s the system, loop it,” a ragpicker said about his life. Officials often talk about NGO partnerships and education programmes for ragpickers and sanitation workers. However, many of these benefits are still not reaching the grassroots, leaving several workers struggling to survive.
They often suffer from several common illnesses, which include typhoid from contaminated food and water, vomiting and diarrhoea from dehydration, as well as deficiencies and malnutrition. They also suffer from tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia and parasites.
