Mumbai: If Mumbai Marathon is meant for the elite and aficionados, it also is a good news for ragpickers in the city, who do make a killing by collecting wastes like plastic bottles, who later sell it and earn hansome money. Like all they too are highly dependent and look forward to the event every year. It is nothing but but “Diwali” for these ragpickers.
They rely on the plastic bottles used by the runners, who drink and throw the PET bottles. While the runners treat these bottles as mere trash, for them it is a source of income which can buy them good food, at least for a month or two. We usually collect the bottles which are thrown anywhere by the runners. After collecting the bottles we sell them to scrap dealers,” said Ramesh, who is presently living in a footpath near Azad Maidan.
“Just like everyone, we too eagerly wait for the event. We tend to make a good earning on this day every year,” Ramesh, who collects bottles with his sister, said. According to Ramesh, he earns nearly Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 during Marathon by selling the bottles and other plastic or metal scrap.
“We earn the highest income only during Marathon and rest of the year, we have to rely on other scrap items which we collect across South Mumbai area,” Ramesh said. Ramesh has married recently and now there are total of 11 members in his family. “The amount is sufficient for us to survive for at least a month or two. It not only brings us money, but also water as we reuse the water from these bottles which are half drunk by runners,” said Ramesh’s sister Sunita.
