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New Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Karnataka waste pickers honoured by Hasiru Dala for their contribution to climate action
BENGALURU: At Hasiru Habba (Green Festival) 2025, more than 1,500 waste pickers gathered to celebrate their role as invisible climate warriors and to demand concrete policy support for their contributions to waste management and environmental sustainability, here on Tuesday. Organised by Hasiru Dala, the event marked World Environment Day by highlighting how Karnataka's 4.23 lakh waste pickers, many of them Dalits, Adivasis, and women, power the circular economy. Their work — collecting, sorting, and processing waste — diverts thousands of tonnes of recyclable material from landfills annually. In Bengaluru alone, over 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste are processed by the informal sector each month, according to Hasiru Dala data. Despite this, most waste pickers remain outside formal systems. A staggering 95% lack health insurance, and more than half live without basic infrastructure like electricity, toilets, or drinking water, a press release stated. According to the press release, the community laid out demands aimed at integrating waste pickers into climate and urban policy frameworks. Key demands included the establishment of Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) in tier-2 cities, three-way waste segregation with pickers involved in sorting, and the creation of safe, well-equipped recycling hubs. Leelavathi, Organising Secretary of Women's Voice, said, "We need to strengthen ourselves. We don't have representation from the governments and we demand that. We demand education and our rights.'
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karaga, Cricket, Garbage collide in Bengaluru
Is Bengaluru the worst municipality in the country? Living in this city, it certainly feels like it. There is so much to be angry about in Bengaluru these days. Cricket fans have died in a stampede and still the state government is passing the buck, scapegoating officers so that they can escape blame. On April 1, the BBMP imposed a 'garbage tax' collecting additional money for doing its job. This week, it crowed that the collections were so robust that the BBMP had collected half its annual target in just two months. I wasn't present in Chinnaswamy stadium on that dark day when 11 cricket fans died. But I can speak from personal experience about this garbage tax. I live in a building in Central Bangalore. Each apartment in my complex pays the garbage tax. But here is the thing. BBMP takes away nothing from our building. No garbage, nothing. The reason is that we have contracted with an organisation called Hasiru Dala which takes away our wet waste, our recycled material and our electronic waste. We compost 10% of our waste in our building. To restate: BBMP's intersection with our building in terms of garbage is zero. Yet, we pay, and not just a small amount. There was garbage aplenty this week in Shivaji Nagar where I live though, thanks to the annual Shivaji Nagara Karaga, dedicated to the goddess, Droupadi Amman. In the evening, thousands of devotees gathered at the RBANMS grounds for a fire-walking ritual in which lines of men, women, and transgender people wore saffron clothes, carried lemons tied to their waists and walked on hot coals. The goddess idol was taken in a procession on the streets in the area ending in front of Maverick & Farmer coffee, which seemed like a perfect metaphor for the old and new in India. Processions are common in Bengaluru. Even death involves a procession with music bands, colourful garlands and hired weeping women. We are an expressive emotional culture after all. All of this got me thinking about what defines Bengaluru or for that matter, what defines the new India where karaga and cricket co-exist? Yet, it was not the karaga madness that caused stampede deaths but the supposedly more sophisticated sport. I love local processions because they show me the Indian aesthetic, which is maximalist, layered and sumptuous. Yet India defies simplistic categorisation. For every burst of Holi colour, there is minimal Kerala with its white mundus and white kasavu sarees. For every Benares with its curved design elements — the vine-like flowering jaals and the ambe-paisley that cover the surfaces of Benares sarees, there is geometry of Andhra ikat. India defies rules, categories and generalisations. That said, there are a few things we can say about India. We still remain rooted in our community. This I saw in the building of the chariots for the karaga. The whole community contributes and participates. We don't like being alone and are comfortable in crowds. This I saw when I gathered with lakhs of others to watch the fire-walking. Like the two-headed ghandabherunda, we are comfortable with holding two opposite ideas in our heads. We are comfortable with contradictions. We attend rock concerts and cheer on fire-walkers. The sacred is common in India: sacred trees, plants, birds, rivers, animals and more. The sacred is not segregated to temples, churches or mosques. It is on the streets (again a contradiction that we are comfortable with). India exists across not just centuries; we exist across millennia. The karaga festival that happens even today is 800 years old and has its roots in the Mahabharata that is 2000 years old. At the same time, we have memes, Comicons, gaming conventions, rock concerts, and futuristic video games. The Indian is comfortable with both. He goes back millennia to the Mahabharata and embraces the future with gaming. We are local and global, modern and ancient, minimalist and maximalist. We are a supremely sensual culture. We like to adorn ourselves. The word alankara means decorating without an inch of space left for anything else. You still see this type of adornment on our gods. The Droupadi Amman who was paraded on the streets for the karaga was covered with garlands, silk clothes, and jewellery. We are also creative in our usage of decorative elements. No other culture has anklets for instance in such varied forms. For the karaga, the devotees all had beautiful dots marked above their eyebrows. These are called gopi patravali and were traditionally made with kumkum and Chandan. In the karaga, I noticed that the same tradition was followed. I asked a devotee why. 'Droupadi Amman loves decoration,' she replied. 'So you need to wear your makeup, your mascara, lipstick, gopi dots, and hairstyle. Whatever you like.' The lemons that she had tied in a sack around her waist too had a reason. 'This time, I only have about 20 lemons,' she said. 'Last year, I had over 50 lemons. Each was given to me by someone with a wish. I carry these wishes when I walk over fire and then distribute the lemons in the hope that their wishes get fulfilled.' The design of the festival, its attire, its flow, all were uniquely Indian. India's design language is only now coming into its own. Part of it is a function of economic prosperity. Just as Japan's fashion, arts, manga, anime and design took over the world once its economy rose in the 90s, India and China are now on the rise. It is our turn to claim the world. But first we have to sort out our garbage. (Shoba Narayan is Bengaluru-based award-winning author. She is also a freelance contributor who writes about art, food, fashion and travel for a number of publications)
Time of India
08-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Volunteers hold a 4-hour placard vigil every day on Padil–BC Road to curb waste dumping
Mangaluru: In a unique citizen-driven initiative, volunteers have united under the campaign 'Swachategagi Nammondige Neevu, Nimmondige Naavu' to combat the growing issue of waste dumping along the national highway from Padil to BC Road. Launched on World Environment Day, the campaign is a collaborative effort by the Dakshina Kannada district administration, zilla panchayat, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), and the gram panchayats of Adyar, Pudu, Thumbe, and Kallige, along with Hasiru Dala, a social impact organisation. Last year, for more than three months, from 5.30am to 9.30am, Nagaraj Raghav Anchan, project manager at Hasiru Dala, stood holding placards at Adyar, urging citizens to stop dumping waste by the roadside, reminding them that it could eventually pollute the Nethravati River. He took up a similar exercise in 2021 when he stood for over three hours daily near the Kallapu stretch of the Nethravati bridge with a similar appeal. He told TOI, "Despite such efforts, illegal dumping between Padil and BC Road worsened, with 20 to 30 black spots identified. Concerned over the growing menace, Anchan approached zilla panchayat deputy secretary Jayalakshmi Raikod. Jayalakshmi is taking the lead in this campaign and has launched 'Waste Dumping Control Squad'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 오스템 임플란트 받아가세요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo These squads, comprising gram panchayat members and Hasiru Dala volunteers, are now stationed at black spots every morning, holding placards and discouraging irresponsible waste disposal. So far, about 20 teams have been formed with support from local panchayats, in addition to a Hasiru Dala team. Plans are also in place to involve schools, youth clubs, and community organisations, encouraging them to dedicate at least one day to the cause. The campaign will continue for the next three months." Anchan said volunteers are also documenting reasons cited by offenders for dumping waste. "Eventually, if violations persist, the panchayat will begin imposing fines. We are hopeful of reducing roadside dumping by at least 90%," he added. The team is also considering deploying volunteers from 8pm to 11pm, a period identified as peak time for illegal dumping. MP takes note The campaign drew attention from Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta, who spotted Nagaraj with a placard at Arkula on Friday evening. In a post on X, the MP wrote, "In a world where everyone talks of problems, there are few who take it upon themselves to be part of the solution. Glad to have met Nagraj, who was standing by the roadside at Arkula, holding a placard urging people not to throw garbage by the roadside. More power to such thoughtful citizens who are ensuring Swachh Bharat, as envisioned by our Prime Minister is a reality by relentlessly pursuing it. "The MP said that NH development works are expected to be taken up on this stretch soon and assured him of his support in getting the area cleaned.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Menstrual waste management gets a sustainable shift in DK panchayats
Mangaluru: As part of a zero-waste model initiative, 10 gram panchayats in Dakshina Kannada were identified for waste management interventions through Hasiru Dala. However, managing sanitary waste emerged as one of the most pressing and often overlooked challenges. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We receive about 200kg of sanitary waste every day, including diapers and pads. Some panchayats alone generate 100–300kg of such waste daily," said Nagaraj Raghav Anchan, project manager, Hasiru Dala. He said that this kind of waste poses a major environmental and logistical challenge. In response, Hasiru Dala launched a proactive campaign promoting the use of menstrual cups. "We distributed menstrual cups in seven panchayats so far. Wherever we conduct meetings on menstrual hygiene, we create WhatsApp groups, collect feedback, and even have a doctor on hand to address women's concerns. Nearly 90% of the women who where present during wareness shifted to menstrual cups," he added. Beyond menstrual waste, the project focused on improving waste collection systems. "There is no point blaming only the public. We must set up a functioning system," said Anchan. Working closely with Sanjeevani self-help group, the initiative ensured door-to-door collection and awareness drives through IEC activities. The project is supported by SBI Foundation. "We realised that once a proper system is in place, we collect nearly one tonne of waste per day. Wet waste is managed at composting units, while dry waste is routed to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)." The campaign also includes educational outreach in schools through sessions on Trashonomics, fostering environmental responsibility from a young age. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now DK zilla panchayat deputy secretary Jayalakshmi Raikod said that awareness is happening, but it will take some time for public mindset to change. 2.5 tonne waste cleared in Neermarga A significant clean-up drive was carried out in Neermarga, recently, by volunteers from Hasiru Dala, with active support from residents. The team cleared nearly 2.5 tonnes of waste from a steep black spot that became an unofficial dumping site. Nagaraj Anchan said that the area was used for waste disposal due to irregular waste collection services. The pile-up led to a strong stench and posed health and environmental concerns. "The situation was quite severe. The terrain made it challenging, but with the help of the community, we managed to clear the spot," he said. Hasiru Dala is also planning a month-long awareness programme in the region. The campaign will focus on educating citizens about responsible waste segregation, proper disposal, and the importance of community involvement in keeping their surroundings clean.
