The Rag Pickers and the Urban Economy-A Case Study of Seemapuri region, Delhi

The race of humanity has made tremendous advancements in terms of the nature and structure of their settlements giving the race all reasons to cheer and flourish. But there lies some serious issues as well. The present human civilization is experiencing the biggest human migration of all times changing the characteristics of their living and behavior. Out of a bunch of issues that the human race is experiencing, the ever increasing rate of waste consumption is among one of the most significant and decisive one. The waste emergency of Naples, Italy is one such example that should be kept in mind by the various governments and authorities involved across the Globe. In India, this concern is even more powerful as a large section of the society is involved in rag picking after looking at the immense possibility in the rising sector. How can the solid waste management system be planned and formulated than integrating the rag pickers community into the whole system in such a situation where eliminating poverty and providing skills to the population are Indian government's key concern? How the community of rag pickers is significant in the entire concerned system? The paper will discuss the various aspects involved in it through various researches performed and policies formulated yet and also by means of collecting data from field study in the form of questionnaire survey highlighting the nature and key issues with the community collecting waste in the region of Seemapuri in Delhi, India. The final section of the paper will discuss an integrated model which can be studied and implemented as per the local prevailing conditions with a few recommendations which may increase the efficiency of the entire system of human settlements especially of those involved in this unidentified occupation.