In 2019, the Gazhipur landfill in Delhi had crossed 65 meters (213 feet), just 8 meters short of the iconic Qutub Minar which is 73 meters high.
Ragpickers are people who collect or picks up rags and other waste materials from the streets, dump yards for a livelihood. They are the backbone of the Indian waste management system. They open sacks and there are soiled sanitary napkins in newspapers, human excreta in polythene, shards of glass, syringes, or nails. They cut themselves, develop rashes and infection. Rotten food makes them sick. They have no pension, no recognition, no medical facilities in India,”
Brainstorming and Research
Field visit at Kurukshetra, India
Ragpickers turnout to be the backbone of India’s waste management system as their number is above 4 million. They contribute around 4200 crores to the Indian economy.
Field visit at Delhi, India
In Delhi alone, the waste pickers save the municipal corporation at least ₹ 1.7 crore a day in terms of labor cost only because of their free civic service and no minimum wage from the civic body.
The Rag short film is about "Jhonny," a ragpicker who narrates and shares his reality: of rag pickers from the ground. The film was shot in a dump yard in Kurukshetra, India. Ragpickers have made a significant contribution to the management of waste in India, but they are also one of India's most underprivileged communities.
This is a short montage video an expression showcasing the reality and situation of waste management and Ragpickers in India.