Millions of India's waste pickers face increased dangers from extreme heat as they sort through toxic landfills for recyclable materials, earning barely enough to survive.
It is estimated that 1.5 to 4 million people make a living searching through India’s waste.
Waste pickers in Jammu, a city in northern India, endure severe heat and toxic fumes while scavenging for recyclables, risking their health for minimal income.
Rising temperatures and poorly managed landfills increase the frequency of hazardous landfill fires and gas emissions.
Experts emphasize the need for basic amenities like water, shade and medical care for waste pickers to mitigate health risks.
Key quote:
“It’s really very sad to look at how the poor are trying to live somehow, just take their bodies and try to reach the end of this heat wave in some form of being intact.”
— Bharati Chaturvedi, founder of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group in New Delhi.
Why this matters:
As global temperatures soar, waste pickers, the unsung heroes of urban recycling, find themselves in increasingly perilous conditions. Extreme heat amplifies the already harsh realities of their work, exposing them to severe health risks and underscoring the urgent need for dignified working conditions.
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