BENGALURU: The spate of sudden rains in Bengaluru has wreaked havoc in the homes of migrant workers in Bengaluru. Beyond the cases of water rushing into their homes, stagnant water on the roads has proven to be a challenge for rag pickers, who are left to fend for themselves without adequate gear.
Labour within these communities is often gendered; the women are categorised into domestic labour, often through contractors or agents. In cases of flooded homes, the women cannot take even a day off to look after their own homes, having been threatened with termination of their contracts. “My time of duty is from 6am to 2pm.
On rainy days I have more work, and after I finish my duty, I reach my home at 4 pm to take care of my child and husband, the latter being bedridden with a renal disease. I cannot even take a day off, as daily attendance is mandated by the contractor. I go to work even when I am sick, otherwise I will lose my job,” said 30-year-old Salma, who lives in Kadugodi.
Bablu (38), who has migrated from Assam, picks up rags using his autorickshaw. While picking up dry waste is difficult enough as is, wet waste amounts to a much greater ordeal. “Wet garbage, often submerged, requires much more effort. We collect that garbage with no gloves, safety gumboots, or rain coats. We often get into stagnant rainwater, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, infections and diseases. In December last year, a seven-year-old girl, daughter of a fellow migrant worker from West Bengal died from dengue near Varthur,” he lamented.
The issues are beyond the rainy days. In a settlement near Kodathi near Sarjapur, Mohammad Khalil (60), a ragpicker who migrated to the city from Delhi 15 years ago, highlighted the lack of basic infrastructure and government support. “We are not receiving any benefits from Delhi or Karnataka government. There is no connection between the government and us,” Khalil said. He said that since they reside on a land that does not belong to them, they are forced to vacate whenever the landowner demands it, leaving them with no security.
Migrant workers also reportedly facing frequent harassment from local miscreants. Faiz Akram Pasha, founder of Jana Sadbhawana, a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation, said incidents of blackmail, physical harassment, threats, kidnapping, and sexual violence have created an atmosphere of fear, particularly at night. “In most cases, victims do not come forward due to fear. They either return to their hometowns or continue working without reporting the incidents,” Pasha said.
Pasha stressed that the daily lives of the city’s migrant workers demand urgent intervention. “There is a shortage of drinking water and clean toilets; at night, especially during rains, residents fear snake infestations too”, he added.