Wasted

One day I took a couple of foreign artists to look at the Okhla Landfill. They were doing an eco-art residency and wanted to know what happens to the garbage in delhi. We checked out a bunch of rag-pickers, very fascinating people from a firangi perspective.... they recycle you know. something we indians are quite irresponsible about unless it is some toxic waste shipped from the North+West.



Well this does not really fit into abandoned buildings per se..... it deals with waste. and an abandoned people and the profession of retrieval from decay.



Here we can see the act of dumping and retrieval happening simultaneously. The kabaadiwalahs queue up as the garbage trucks unload....




The waste is covered up with a layer of earth before new garbage is added. All kinds of gasses build up in this mixture. Some are inflamable and and many are poisonous. Infact the garbage is set on fire so as to increase decomposition.



And believe it or not, some of them actually camp out on top of this rubbish heap. The Okhla Landfill is one of 3 major landfills of delhi. All 3 are currently filling up beyond capacity. And there are more landfills that are being put into our holy master-plan.



Those sacks are full of recyclable stuff being handpicked and taken away. In a small way the kabaadiwalahs are decreasing the amount of trash that gets dumped everyday. And nobody knows or cares about the health hazards. nor are they encouraged in this eco-friendly activity. infact there is a huge mafia here in conjunction with the sarkari officials.