24-04-2025
Migrant families in South Delhi struggle to survive living amid garbage
A settlement of migrants from North East India, specifically from West Bengal and Assam, are living in the makeshift houses set up in the middle of garbage and medical waste in South Delhi's Kalindi Kunj. These migrants, holding on to a hopes of a better future for their children, survive through sorting garbage for meagres wages.
Earning up to ₹5 per plastic bag of segregated waste, they make up to ₹9,000 per month.
Intazul Mulla, 32, shifted to Delhi from Kolkata at the age of 12. Now, living with his family of six on the banks of a sewage, surrounded with toxic waste and rotting food. 'All my children live in the same condition, surrounded by waste and rotting food, my youngest child was born amid the garbage because we could not afford hospitals. All my children live in the same condition, with no clean water or proper food.' he said.
Despite having identity cards such as Aadhar, PAN and Ration cards, these settlers are denied beneficiary schemes from the government for being outsiders.
'We want our children to study. But the fees are too high, and teachers don't pay attention because the kids don't know Hindi. Even when we are sick, no authority is ready to help the kids because e cannot afford the cost of basic treatment,' he added.
The migrants live on an encroached land by paying ₹3,000 as rent to a third-party contractor, who buys the waste from Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The families often fall sick living amid the hazardous conditions. 'We are forced to use water from a nearby sewage canal to clean out dishes and take bath. We get skin infections and other waterborne diseases but we have no choice,' said another family.
Healthcare remains a luxury for the migrants. For Sangita, 32, who shifted to Delhi a year ago, falling ill means to starve. 'Our daily income is tied to the number of hours we work, and very often, we are unable to work due to illness, which means there is no food or even water on certain days,' said Sangita.
(With inputs from Shivam Mishra)
