NEED FOR FORMALIZATION OF INFORMAL SECTOR IN URBAN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

 

This article underlines the role of informal sector in urban waste management system, challenges faced by them due to non-recognition and emphasizes upon a dire need for creation of a separate legislation on waste-pickers including their role, safety, and recognition to revamp the solid waste management system in India.

Introduction

Swachh Bharat Mission 2023 data says that urban areas in India, representing about 377 million people, generate 55.6 million metric tonnes (MMT) of municipal solid waste (MSW) each year. Waste generated by cities is projected to grow by 5% per year until 2050 to reach 436 MMT per year by 2050.[1] The increasing population, growing migration to urban areas, poor waste management system are factors responsible for the dire situation. In this regard, only the informal sector plays a significant role in waste management, but remains largely unregulated, leading to waste leakages. The informal sector refers to individuals, families, and private sector enterprises working in solid waste management services, whose activities are not organised, sponsored, financed, contracted, recognised, managed, taxed, or reported upon by governmental authorities. According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, a “waste picker” means a person or groups of persons informally engaged in collection and recovery of reusable and recyclable solid waste from the source of waste generation the streets, bins, material recovery facilities, processing, and waste disposal facilities for sale to recyclers directly or through intermediaries.[2] “Informal waste collectors” as per the rules, include individuals, associations or waste-traders who are involved in sorting, sale and purchase of recyclable materials.[3]

Role of Informal Sector in Urban Solid Waste Management

The role of informal sector including waste-pickers is multi-fold including the following:

• Informal waste workers handle the processes of waste segregation, collection, handling, and disposal acting like a bridge between the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and the community.
•  It causes a reduction in the cost of treatment and disposal of solid waste by extracting recyclables before the mixed waste is subjected to any specific treatment or haphazardly dumped into the landfills.
• It plays a major contribution in terms of environmental sustainability and circular economy thereby reducing the economic burden of urban local bodies.
• It minimizes recyclables (especially plastics) ending up in the oceans.[4] 

Issues faced by Informal Workers

• There are several issues faced by informal workers due to non-regulation and non-inclusion in the formal waste management system namely:
• There is no financial security of the informal workers. They earn primarily from the resource value of waste, which is the amount earned by selling the waste.
•  The environment of work of waste workers is extremely dangerous for their health and involves high risk of infections and communicable diseases.
• Most of these workers belong to lower castes or are considered to be ‘untouchables’ and as such are subject to rampant discrimination by officials and administrators as well as the public.
•  Moreover, the Indian legal framework considers waste-pickers to be committing theft. As waste is primarily the property of the municipality, its handling and collection by waste workers who are not recognised in the system puts them at risk for prosecution, adding to their plight.
• Another barrier to waste workers’ sustainable livelihoods is privatisation of waste management in cities, which has negative implications on the recycling activities undertaken by waste workers.

Existing Policy and Lack of Implementation

The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, have acknowledged the role of informal waste workers. The Rules list out the following duties for urban local bodies as well as the secretary-in-charge of Urban Development in states and UTs regarding waste workers:

• Preparation of a state-level and local-level solid waste management strategy in consultation with representatives of waste pickers, self-help groups and other similar groups, that acknowledges their primary role in reducing waste and provide broad guidelines for their integration in the waste management system.
• Setting up of a system to recognise organisations of informal waste collectors and to integrate these authorised waste-pickers and waste collectors to facilitate their participation in solid waste management, including door-to-door collection of waste.
• Provision of identity cards for waste pickers and self-help groups.
• Provision of training on solid waste management to waste pickers and waste collectors.

However, progress on this front has not been sufficient. The system at large has failed to recognise them as key stakeholders in the waste management process. There is a urgent need for the government to evolve a mechanism whereby the performance of Urban Local Bodies can be critically evaluated, particularly when it comes to recognising the work of and integrating informal waste workers.[5]

Suggestions and Recommendations

Recognition of the informal sector has been done through the Rules but efforts towards formal inclusion must be strengthened through policies at both the national and state levels. There is lack of clear and comprehensive laws and policy to protect the rights of informal sector in India. There is an urgent need to frame and implement a uniform Waste-Picker welfare law including the rights of waste pickers and their role in the waste management system.

The welfare law should address the position of waste workers in Indian society, which is permeated by institutions of caste and gender, and must be factored in to improve their social inclusivity.  It should consider safety at work, and include policies oriented towards tackling the lack of resources to prevent contamination that may occur due to the mixing of different types of waste. Constant attention needs to be paid to developing safer methods of waste collection. It must be ensured that these workers are provided with appropriate equipment for storage of waste as well as adequate protective gear.[6] The state of informal workers can only be changed by a dedicated law and regulation to constantly monitor and impose implementation to revamp the solid waste management system in India.

 

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[1] Swati Singh Sambyal and Parul Agarwala, ‘Help cities adopt a robust action plan to tackle waste’, Hindustan Times (March 29, 2023), accessible at  https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/help-cities-adopt-a-robust-action-plan-to-tackle-waste-101680101997560.html.

[2]Report titled ‘Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists’, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group (2018), accessible at https://www.chintanindia.org/themes/nexus/assets/images/waste101/Chintan%20Supreme%20Court%20Report_01.pdf.

[3] Richa Singh, ‘Solid waste management: Why integrating informal sector is a must’, Down To Earth (July 25, 2022), accessible at https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/solid-waste-management-why-integrating-informal-sector-is-a-must-83841#:~:text=The%20informal%20recycling%20sector%20reduces,haphazardly%20dumped%20into%20the%20landfills.

[4] Dr. Richa Singh, ‘Integration of Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management: Strategies and Approaches’, Centre for Science and Environment, accessible at https://cdn.cseindia.org/attachments/0.89670700_1626944339_integration-of-the-informal-sector-richa.pdf.

[5] Kashika Chadha, ‘Informal Waste Workers: The Issue of Formalization’, Social and Political Research Foundation, accessible at https://sprf.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/24.07.2020_Informal-Waste-Workers_-The-Issue-of-Formalisation.pdf.

[6] Shubhangi Priya and Sonam Gupta, ‘The State of Informal Waste Workers in India’, Social and Research Foundation, accessible at  https://sprf.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/19.8.2020_The-State-of-Informal-Waste-Workers-In-India.pdf.