The Overlooked Crisis: How Delhi’s Waste Pickers Were Hit Hardest by the Pandemic

A report details severe income loss faced by Delhi's waste pickers during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many into debt. It highlights harassment by authorities, privatization issues, and education challenges within the community. The waste management shift toward corporate interests further marginalized the workers, amplifying systemic inequalities.

A disturbing report sheds light on the financial collapse experienced by over 73 per cent of Delhi’s waste pickers during the COVID-19 pandemic, driving them into significant debt, according to the People’s Commission and Public Inquiry Committee.

The report titled 'A Governance Landfill' reveals that 56.5 per cent of these workers faced harassment from municipal authorities, while 52 per cent borrowed money for basic healthcare needs. Findings highlight the impact of economic hardship, government neglect, and privatisation on their livelihoods.

Waste pickers shared personal struggles, emphasizing systemic extortion and increasing costs for waste management access. Inequitable policies further intensified educational, economic, and social crises within waste-picking communities, contrasting the government's claimed approach with their lived harsh realities.