New Delhi, Sep 15: A government-supported sanitation entrepreneurship initiative has helped a 30-year-old waste picker from Andhra Pradesh move towards a more stable source of income by becoming part of a mechanised sanitation enterprise.
Balamala Malli, a member of a Scheduled Tribe community, had been working as a waste picker with the Guntur Municipal Corporation for nearly a decade. Working six days a week, he earned around Rs 150-200 a day and faced significant financial challenges while supporting his family.
Malli was unable to attend school because of poverty and began accompanying his parents in waste collection work at an early age.
He later married and now supports his wife and three children, who are studying in primary school.Seeking better economic opportunities for his family, Malli became part of a five-member group that received assistance under the Swachh Udyami Yojana (SUY), a component of the NAMASTE programme.
The support enabled the group to acquire a 3-in-1 jetting, grabbing and rodding machine for mechanised sanitation operations.The assistance was sanctioned through the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) on June 19, 2023.
The total project cost was around Rs 49.41 lakh, supported through a loan of approximately Rs 30.81 lakh and upfront capital subsidy of around Rs 18.60 lakh.
Access to the mechanised equipment created an additional source of income for the group and enabled its members to undertake sanitation work using safer and more efficient methods.For Malli, the intervention has resulted in a significant improvement in his monthly earnings.
His earlier income of around Rs 8,000 a month from waste picking was supplemented by nearly Rs 10,000 through the new activity, taking his overall monthly income to approximately Rs 18,000.
The higher earnings have helped him manage household expenses more comfortably and contribute towards the education of his children.
Malli said the assistance had increased his income and given him greater confidence to provide his children with better educational opportunities and a more secure future.
His experience illustrates how access to institutional finance, capital support and mechanised equipment can help workers from economically vulnerable communities move towards more sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative also seeks to promote safer sanitation practices while creating opportunities for sanitation workers to participate in organised, income-generating enterprises.
