An I-card, basic dress code and safety facilities, decent living conditions and a good salary are set to comprise the draft of a national policy for ragpickers (or waste collectors) which will stand to benefit them.

With the state having more than one lakh waste pickers, and Pune having nearly 6,400 of them, a first of its kind national meet will take up a discussion on forming a policy for this neglected sector. A meeting is scheduled at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA) on February 4 during which the draft policy will be tabled before the joint secretary of Ministry of Urban development and poverty, Harjitsingh Anand.

“Sixteen organisation representatives have converged to work towards bringing about this draft policy,” says Poornima Chikarmane, activist and founder member of the Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP). “Giving these people the necessary facilities is the need of the hour.”

This being the first such national meet, the draft will address all the issues of the women who are helping the environment. With the cities flourishing and garbage segregation being a major issue, independent organisations have been given the responsibility, the reason such a draft policy has been taken up.

Laxmi Narayan, general secretary of the KKPKP and member of those drafting the policy, says the existing government resolution or GR on solid waste management is not being implemented in letter and spirit, though it clearly defines the role of ragpickers. “This policy will largely address the living conditions of these wastepickers and conditions at work,” says Narayan.

The policy will be a statement of intent which basically involves urban planners making the necessary arrangements, adds Chikarmane of the meet. Jyoti Mapusekar of Stree Mukti Sanghtana says that though we have the rules, they are not being implemented, and so a draft policy is the only way these women could lead a life with integrity.

Interestingly, there is also an international meet by Women in Informal Employment being organised in conjunction with the organisation of waster collectors, supportive researchers and NGOs — scheduled to be held at Bogota in March. The objective is to facilitate international networking amongst member based organisations of informal waste collectors and to form an international organisation to build unity and solidarity amongst waste collectors and represent their interests internationally.

“The network will also help make visible their contribution as workers to environment protection, health and the economy besides ensuring their effective participation in all forums which affect their working lives and social position,” says Narayan.

The World Bank estimates that one per cent of the urban population in developing countries earns a living through scavenging or waste collection and recycling. “Whilst conditions vary from place to place, waste collectors often suffer from harsh working conditions,” she adds. “They are exposed to tremendous health hazards, accidents and crisis of all kinds. That is why policy is the need of the hour,” she adds.