How Are Government Schemes Changing The Lives Of Waste Pickers?

Waste pickers are one of the most undermined yet crucial elements of a nation. They are those individuals who collect waste from streets or landfills for reselling it to recyclers. According to an early 2025 report, there are around 1.5 to 4 million people engaged in the unorganised sector of waste pickers.

As waste pickers, also known as rag pickers, belong to a profession in the unorganised sector, they face a range of challenges in being able to access various government schemes and services.

Read the article to learn more about the reality of the accessibility of govt schemes by the waste pickers of the nation.

Are There Government Schemes For Waste Pickers?

Yes, innumerable central and state government schemes have been launched that allow people from such vulnerable and economically disadvantaged groups to access various basic needs such as quality food, free healthcare services, including health insurance, school and university scholarships, housing schemes, pensions, etc.

In the state of Karnataka, at present, there are around 108 social security schemes that waste pickers can benefit from after clearing the eligibility criteria.

However, all of these schemes are still very hard to access for not only waste pickers, but others as well, who belong to the vulnerable or economically disadvantaged groups.

Benefits Of Social Security Schemes

Many organisations are working on empowering waste pickers by educating them about government schemes that can improve the quality of their lives, and also helping them in applying for the scheme or basic documents such as Aadhaar cards, Voter IDs, Ration cards, etc. An initiative has been launched for the same, named the Mobile Social Security (MSS) initiative, as a part of the Saamuhika Shakti intervention. In 4 years, MSS teams have covered around 8 zones across the city of Bengaluru, including rural areas, and have helped more than 2500 people in applying for relevant social security schemes.

Various social security schemes are introduced to help people from vulnerable groups. Some of them are listed below:

• For quality food: To avail food at subsidised prices, people can apply for schemes like the National Food Security Mission, which covers schemes like Priority Households and Antyodaya Anna Yojana, or enrol in the Public Distribution System through a Ration card.

• For housing: Shelter is one of the other basic needs that we all require in our lives. For this, individuals like waste pickers can enrol themselves in the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), under which they can take the help of the government in building strong houses in both urban and rural areas.

• For healthcare: Quality healthcare is not only a need but a necessity that everyone requires, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds. Waste pickers can apply for schemes like the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, through which they can access quality healthcare services and get cashless medical treatment as and when required.