Mumbai: Rag-pickers sustain themselves by collecting, sorting, and separating waste which is then traded. The conditions they survive in are almost inhuman. They have no proper housing, healthcare, or safety gear. They are not even recognized or respected for the hard work they put in to keep our city clean. Instead, they have become a segment of society that is largely ignored.
Continuing its work to help this segment, Clean-Up Foundation distributed medical insurance and personal accident insurance policies to 60 rag pickers. The event was organized in association with the Aasra Foundation and H West Ward of MCGM. Sanjana Runwal, the co-founder of Clean-Up Foundation, handed over the insurance policies to the rag-pickers. Under the policies issued, each of the rag pickers will be eligible for health insurance benefits of up to 1 lac and personal accident coverage of up to 3 lacs.
Commenting on this initiative, Sanjana Runwal, Co-Founder of Clean-Up Foundation says, “Despite their immense contribution to urban waste management as they recycle almost 20 percent of India’s wastes, India’s rag-pickers continue to struggle for survival in dire conditions-exposure to harmful substances and poor wages and lack of basic civic amenities. Currently, when the entire city is impacted due to this deadly virus, there is a necessity to extend our help to them. This segment does not have access to insurance and hospitalization benefits and this is a much-needed facility in their profession, especially in the current situation.”
When the pandemic hit earlier this year, their lives were terribly affected. They neither had the comfort of a safe & secure home nor did they have the option of working from home. They just had to brave the circumstances without any assistance. There were stories about migrant labourers, stranded labourers, and other informal workers receiving rations, but nobody gave a thought about the ragpickers, who continued to suffer, mentally and physically, throughout the lockdown. During these troubled times, Clean-Up Foundation came forward and organized a lecture with the Manashakti Research Centre for the ragpickers and garbage workers on mental health and well-being topics including anxiety, depression, mental peace, and stress management.
Clean-Up’s aim is to improve the living conditions of those who keep our city clean – the garbage cleaners and rag pickers. Clean-Up has already donated numerous water purifiers to different ward offices of BMC, which have helped hundreds of garbage cleaners get access to clean drinking water. It has also provided safety kits for rag pickers and financial assistance for the education of their children. In addition, Clean Up Foundation also donated raincoats and gumboots for rag pickers before the monsoons. Clean Up Foundation firmly believes that it is imperative to help these unsung heroes of our society and shall continue its efforts in this direction.
