The Pourakarmikas of AWHCPL- the Real Heroes Behind ‘Swachh Mangaluru’!
The Pourakarmikas of Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd (AWHCPL)- the Real Heroes Behind ‘Swachh Mangaluru’! Team Mangalorean looks into a day in the life of a garbage collector
Mangaluru : If our Mangaluru aka Kudla aka Kodiyal aka “Smart City” (however you call it) , if it looks clean every single day the credit should go to the hard working Pourakarmikas (garbage collectors) of Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd, the company hired for waste collection of the City. There may be a few NGO’s or organizations who also involve in the Swachatha of Mangaluru, but theirs is a short term contribution/service. It’s these Pourakarmikas who wake up early in the morning, while most of us are still in bed, may be it rain or shine, are ready for their daily job, cleaning the mess created by good and bad citizens of Mangaluru.
Every day we produce tonnes of waste – waste food, sugar cane husk, banana peels, waste meat and vegetables, egg shells, etc etc – which all get dumped into the dustbin, or in plastic bags or thrown along the side of the roads. Most of us give no second thought to where this garbage is going, let alone the people who come to whisk it out of our lives. We have seen Swachh Mangaluru programmes undertaken by NGO’s, educationala institutions and other service minded organizations, who on a “cleaning spree” show their commitment to the public. Along with the chief guest, the volunteers come armed with gloves, covered shoes, face masks, and proper cleaning tools. A week later VIPs or politicians descended on the same place, for “Clean Up” operations, again well-armed with protective gear, gloves and masks etc. Truly a good community service along with publicity stunt?
But for those whose job is actually to clear up the muck daily, get no protective gear, forget about fancy gloves. One rule for VIPs, another for the rest. Especially the poor, the voiceless middle class and those too busy going about earning their livelihoods, to pose for pictures for the media. The politicians who are supposed to work for our “development,” are too busy electioneering. Already. Who cares about people’s woes? Once you get there, your VIP status ensures that you live hassle-free. A candid chat with the group of garbage collectors doing their rounds in the heart of the City every morning, offered a peek into their daily encounters. They were immensely grateful for even the chilled bottle of water given to them as they willingly talked of their day-to-day battles.
These men and women where most of them hails from North Karnataka, but living in various places in the City, where they wake each morning at half past five or earlier and make their way to their mustering points, where they are required to assemble before they start their rounds. Their attendance is recorded through a group photograph, after which they begin their familiar route, with nothing but a cup of chai to keep them going. “Who will give us breakfast so early in the morning?” is 35-year-old Rudrappa’s response to how they cope with their empty stomachs until the afternoon. The group goes from apartment to apartment in the community, collecting their sorted green waste (if at all?) and reject waste. While a few others sweep the streets filled with waste, and collect waste thrown on the road side.
As anyone can guess, this is not a pleasant job to do, but the lack of amenities provided to them exponentially increases its difficulty and how unhygienic it is. No gloves or appropriate shoes have been provided to the group, and they were left with no option but to sort through the stinking mass of garbage barehanded, and climb into it with just a ragged pair of canvas shoes. Team Mangalorean met Seenu ( name changed) who has two children, a 15-year-old daughter who attends school, and his son who accompanies him on the job. It appears that he tried hard to get his son to complete his education, but his son has no interest in studying further. He has now been following the footsteps of his father for the past two years, while Seenu himself has been working in the profession for around six years.
Yet another male garbage collector, who is new to the job, explained that as the work is new and unfamiliar to him, it is not good as he often does not know what to do. Another young man was also with them, and the three (including Seenu) agreed how rare it was that anyone stopped to ask them about their lives, as they feel not much thought or importance is given to the work they do.
Once the garbage pickers dump their day’s collections in the Big truck, it is no longer their responsibility. They are done with all their work for the day, and return to their homes with nothing else to do. Added to their meagre income, they make little extra few bucks by selling the dry, recyclable waste. The stench of rotting vegetables, meat and what not, is one which most people would avoid like the plague, but these workers have no choice but to breathe it in day after day. “At the beginning, when you are new to the job,” said Seenu, “you tend to get more affected by the smell. But what to do about it, you just have to try and ignore it.” After his years surrounded by the disgusting odour, however, it hardly bothers him anymore. The discomfort does not end there, as the job requires standing for hours on end with hardly any chance for a rest.
The truth of such an occupation is that no one wishes to immerse themselves in the filth, but the job has to be done by someone. Despite the almost inhuman conditions and the lack of dignity associated with such work, the need for an income to support his family, and the accessibility of the job drives Seenu and his group to continue working sincerely and with a dedication that is hard to find. When you talk about the dirtiest jobs around, there’s no doubt that the image of a trash collector on the back of a garbage truck comes to mind. After all, it’s their job to handle your garbage all day.
But even more than dirty, a waste and recycling worker’s job is dangerous. Sometimes those two go hand in hand – but never more so than for your neighborhood waste collection crew. Perhaps it’s only when you try to conjure up the dirtiest professions that you even think of your trash and recycling workers; when we’re rushing around in the morning on our way to a hectic day at work the crew responsible for picking up our trash and recycling is usually the last thing on our minds.
Perhaps it’s only when you try to conjure up the dirtiest professions that you even think of your trash and recycling workers; when we’re rushing around in the morning on our way to a hectic day at work the crew responsible for picking up our trash and recycling is usually the last thing on our minds. Yet every week they are there, coming to your house or business to empty those bins. However, that’s only a fraction of what they do every day; rain or shine, and usually with no recognition.
Picking up and dumping trash bins over and over for hours each day is physically taxing, to say the least, but when you throw extreme temperatures into the mix it becomes even more dangerous. In the summer, workers have to stay constantly hydrated in order to avoid heatstroke; a very serious risk for them in the hot months and in the monsoon, they must be sure to take precaution to avoid getting cold and fever. Hazardous materials inside trash cans are also a concern. Many get injured from broken glass, used medical needles, nails from construction debris, and many other waste items, but they don’t report.
So, the next time you think of those dirty jobs, don’t forget that some of them (like the tireless job of your hardworking garbage collector) are more than just dirty; they are also more dangerous than you might have realized. And thank the Pourakarmikas for keeping your surrounding clean, and not the NGO’s?