Chai, Charcha and Physical Distancing: Life of Safai Sathis During COVID-19

by Vikas Gupta

May 17, 2020

Photo: UNDP India

How many of us would have imagined experiencing a ‘lockdown’ during our lifetimes? Not many, until COVID-19 happened. Today, every child knows what a lockdown is, and has come to terms with staying indoors and maintaining ‘physical distancing’ – to stop the spread.

Let us look around us: the streets are deserted, the air is clear, and the unusually blue sky reminds us of our disconnect from mother nature. The cacophony of cars, motorcycles and buses raging through the streets has now been replaced by chirping of birds. While we may continue to admire the sounds of silence, some of us are bravely working through the pandemic, despite the grave threat it imposes on us.

They are our vegetable sellers, milkmen, grocery store owners, chemists, delivery boys, journalists, doctors and nurses and not to forget, our waste pickers- our safai sathis, who religiously pick up waste from our homes every day and segregate it at the collection centres. So, have you ever wondered - what does the life of a safai sathi look like today? How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected their daily lives?

MONEY MATTERS
Safai sathis or waste pickers survive on daily wages. They pick up and sell waste at the Material Recovery Facilities or Swachhta Kendras and segregate them. These Swachhta Kendras are an integral part of UNDP’s plastic waste management project and have been set up across more than 30 locations in the country with support from multiple partners.

For a safai sathi, every kilogram of waste count, as it brings food to the table for their families. “We do get scared and anxious these days. However, we still have a lot of waste picking to do, even though the quantity is half as compared to normal days”, shares Ratnamala Ingole, a safai sathi from Mumbai, who is living with seven other family members.  

MOBILE PHONES: THE ONLY RESPITE

Most safai sathis are from rural India. As train and bus services remain shut, their only means to stay in touch with families is through their mobile phones. Video calls through WhatsApp has now a become an usual practice, as some of them even educate their spouses and children on practising physical distancing and washing hands, over long calls that generally last for over an hour.

PRACTISING MODERN HYGIENIC METHODS

While many of us have been used to hand sanitizers, the safai sathis were not familiar with them. During the hygiene practice training sessions organised at Swachhta Kendras, they were curious and questions like “Does it help prevent Corona”, “Is it drinkable”, “What does it constitute” often came up.  

ENSURING SAFETY OF RESIDENTS AND THEMSELVES

Safai sathis continue to adapt to the practice of wearing masks and gloves even when they are off from work. They are also educating the residents on household segregation to ensure safety. “We are asking the people to keep the used masks and gloves in a separate bag because it may infect us while we are sorting out the waste if it is mixed with other dry waste. Mask and gloves also need to be washed regularly,” shared our safai sathi, Vijay from Panjim, Goa.

Life goes on…

“It has not been easy to live this way. Shops are closed, transport is not available. The constant worry about food and water keeps us on the toes. We have never faced this before”, says Asha Devi, a safai sathi from Delhi Cantonment.  Further, recyclers who buy waste collected and sorted by the safai sathis are not operational, which could lead to reduction in their daily wages.

While UNDP and its partners are consistently supplying safai sathis with food and other life essentials, as responsible citizens, we can also pitch in. We should hand over our used masks and gloves in a separate bag to our safai sathis, share food, water or simply donate what we can. The very least that one can do is- avoid stigmatization and allow them to collect waste just like in normal times. They are well-trained and are taking all precautions while diligently working through this crisis. Let us help the people who help us.

The writer is a Communications Associate at UNDP India
Edited by: Abhirup Bhunia, Writer, UNDP India