Ragpickers' livelihood hit after BMC shuts Deonar dump yard

Maharashtra: Rag pickers in Deonar were blamed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for starting the fire in Deonar dumping ground last week which covered the city in dense smog.

However, a reality check indicates that their sustenance depended solely on the garbage that gets piled up in this dumping yard.

BMC shut the dump yard temporarily following the blaze, leaving the rag pickers hungry and helpless. These rag pickers are also dealing with hazardous smoke day in and day out and respiratory problems that come with it.

Refuting the BMC's claims, a rag picker said, "Why will we cause the blaze. This is our livelihood. BMC is lying."

These registered rag pickers make a living by selling whatever scrap they can find such as plastics, glass and metals and also recycling some of them before selling. A huge sack of trash fetches them Rs 150 to Rs 200 everyday.

"We want BMC van to come back to us. How else will we live? This is our only source of living, added another rag picker.