Who thought that segregating waste can be highly lucrative? At least not a driver who transports garbage regularly.
A swachh auto driver, Uchirappa’s monthly earnings can even beat the salaries of some corporate employees working in the metropolitan city.
An active and dedicated worker of Circle 6 of Rajendranagar, Uchirappa manages to earn ₹60,000 per month.
National recognition
He received an award from IT and Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday at the National Waste Management Summit held in the city.
Previously, he was a rickshaw puller who used to collect garbage from households but later was allotted a Swachh auto.
Uchirappa collects and segregates wet and dry household waste from around 600 homes in Rajendranagar.
Segregation important
If he earns ₹30,000 in the form of payment for his service from the households, another ₹30,000 come his way from selling the reusable waste.
“We keep telling the residents to segregate the waste before dumping it. We have also asked the members of residents welfare associations to keep the waste collected from every apartment in separate bins inside the apartment complex at a place where we can easily collect it,” said Uchirappa. This would reduce the drudgery of having to go door-to-door in an apartment complex.
He has been selling plastic and e-waste to ITC Group which has been using the solid waste for recycling.
Future plan
So what does he plan to do next?
“Buy another Swachh auto so that I can do a better job and earn more,” he said.
