Every dawn in Bengaluru, pourakarmikas, with their bare hands take on the daily risk of sorting through the city’s rotting food, diapers and dust. The essential sanitation workers climb into garbage trucks and wade into piles of garbage. Their service is vital to the functioning of the “Silicon Valley of India,” but it is fraught with dangers they should not have to take.
Pourakarmikas form the backbone of Bengaluru’s sanitation system, but many workers operate under private contractors or outside formal employment. A 2025 survey by the Bengaluru-based social enterprise Hasirudala, conducted with the public health nonprofit HeatWatch, found that 50 of 154 sanitation workers surveyed belonged to this informal segment, highlighting how much the system depends on workers without formal protections.
For many, basic safety gear remains out of reach. “My friend asked for equipment. They always say yes, we will give it tomorrow, but they don’t give it to us,” said Amal Das, 24.
Improper waste disposal by residents makes the work even more hazardous.
“People don’t dispose of their waste properly — no wet waste separate or dry waste separate,” Amal Das said. “Sometimes when we are handling the ‘dry’ waste, we will end up finding rotten food, diapers and other wet waste in it.”
“I never use any equipment. We are used to it, so we don’t mind the smell or touching the waste, but when someone new comes, they face some difficulties,” said Chandan R, 32, who has handled waste for nearly seven years.
{{/usCountry}}“I never use any equipment. We are used to it, so we don’t mind the smell or touching the waste, but when someone new comes, they face some difficulties,” said Chandan R, 32, who has handled waste for nearly seven years.
{{/usCountry}}Over time, the job has begun to affect his health.
“For some months I cough every day, and I get this on my hand sometimes,” he said, pointing to a rash around his nail beds. “Some of the others have worse things on their skin, but we come here to earn. If we don’t do this work, what work will we do?”
Maitreyi Krishnan of the BBMP Pourakarmikara Sangha warned that many pourakarmikas do not live long enough to see retirement. “The life expectancy for them is 50–60 years. Few see retirement, and even if they do, they suffer from serious illnesses. It’s extremely hazardous work,” she said.
She said workers are often denied protective equipment and timely wages. “Even though money is allocated for gear, they are not given any. Moreover, they are not paid their minimum wages as well. They will have three to four months of wages pending at any time. If they raise concerns, they are threatened with termination. It’s a highly exploitative state of work,” she said.
The risks faced by pourakarmikas have received less public attention than the broader waste crisis. At the Bellahalli waste processing and dumping yard, villagers blocked garbage trucks this week, citing infections and unsanitary conditions caused by negligent disposal. But sanitation workers remain the most consistently exposed to these dangers.
“Given the kind of work they do, these workers are exposed to a variety of health issues,” said Bobby Joseph, head of occupational health services at St. Johns Medical College and Hospital.
“They are lifting things bare-handed. They suffer from cuts and lacerations and skin infections. Moreover, they are also susceptible to long-term illnesses such as Hepatitis B that occur due to exposure to body fluids that can be contracted from diapers or used needles. Respiratory illnesses due to exposure to dust are also common such as bronchitis, asthma and chronic cough. There is also a possibility of tuberculosis and gastrointestinal diseases if they are not maintaining proper hygiene,” Joseph said.
Dr. Joseph said the unorganized nature of the workforce makes consistent medical support difficult. “We have to look at them as a completely unorganized sector of the workforce. Thus, providing services such as medical check-ups or access to areas where they can clean themselves, on a consistent and correct basis, is complicated,” he said.
Maitreyi Krishnan attributed many of the problems to the contract system. “The contract system has to be abolished. It is inherently corrupt and operates like a cartel.” She also claimed that the Supreme Court says the contract system is a form of bonded labour.
“If you bring these workers under direct payment, the rights of the workers are protected and public funds are actually saved. A person performing core work of the city should be guaranteed good working conditions.”
She said reforms promised by the government have yet to materialise.
“The government has promised to bring these contract workers under direct payment and end the contract system, but they have still not done so because the contractor lobby is very strong. These workers have all the rights of pourakarmikas, but they have been denied those rights,” Krishnan said.