Pourakarmikas

While walking in your street, have you ever wondered about what it takes to maintain its cleanliness? We, as citizens, are often underappreciative of the labour it takes to make sure our streets remain green and walkable. Appreciation here is a far cry, because most of us have never even wondered who cleans our streets and how. 

Sanitation workers, or 'pourakarmikas' as called in the local Bangalore lingo, form the skeleton in the body of urban sanitation in metropolitan cities. They do their expected job for less than sufficient validation from people like us who casually litter every now and then. Every now and then, I witness an empty chips packet or water bottle being carelessly tossed towards the roadside instead of being properly disposed of in a recyclable waste bin. 

The jobs of purakarmikas aren't the easiest. Their hard work ironically takes place in the most unsanitary conditions to ensure that our surroundings stay clean and hygienic. Often, they segregate through the refuse using their own bare hands and no tools, unlike what is mandatory. They endure the stench and push through the disgust of working in such conditions for the sake of their livelihood. 

Very often, pourakarmikas cover themselves with scarves and other pieces of cloth to protect themselves from the germs, dust and dirt. But, to ponder upon it, is a mere piece of cloth enough to protect them? Does it ensure that they don't fall sick from the various diseases they are exposed to every single day due to their job? The lack of proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like gloves, masks and gumboots – as mandated by the Urban Development Department – makes their already demanding and challenging job even more so. 

Every now and then, in our day-to-day life, we may spot a pourakarmika labouring under the harsh conditions. Just once, can we appreciate and validate their work by the simple action of choosing to not make it harder? Merely choosing to properly segregate our waste and dispose of it in the correct manner will make their jobs less burdensome.