As Malegaon’s residents queue up to vote for the Assembly polls on Monday, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 of them are unified in their concern for survival of the fledgling industry
Elections usually bring with it communal tensions in this city famous for its power looms and small-budget movies. The bridge over the Girna river on Mumbai-Agra highway divides the city’s Hindu and Muslim habitations, while symbiotic business ties of the two communities unite them to keep violence at bay.
As Malegaon’s residents queue up to vote for the Assembly polls on Monday, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 of them, mostly Muslims and some Hindus, who earn their livelihoods from recycling ‘single-use plastic’, are unified in their concern for survival of the fledgling industry.
In Malegaon, only a handful are associated with the film industry. The textile industry is the biggest employer. An estimated 150,000 power looms operate in the city. Lesser known is Malegaon’s plastic recycling industry. As traders associated with the business like to put it, men, women, and children, the most abjectly poor of the city, help recycle plastic that is considered ‘unrecyclable’ anywhere else in the country.
Safety norms, whether to do with the health of workers, or toxicity of the material, are least concerning among people busy making ends meet. A recent National Green Tribunal order has asked the administration to disconnect electricity supply to units to prevent further polluting activities…
Read More: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
No comments:
Post a Comment