Manoj Kumar reaches the waste dumping site early every morning when the city is still asleep, and dawn is just beginning to break. He wheels his cycle on the empty and silent road, suffused with light from yellow street lights overhead that are starting to dim out.
His job is gruelling, and the hours are unpredictable. As a waste worker, or Safai Mitra, his job is crucial to the city’s functioning, but the conditions under which he works are harsh. He spends hours sorting through waste, sometimes into late evenings. The unpredictability of his work hours and income often leaves him with little or no food for days.Yet, despite his exhaustion and hunger, Manoj pushes on, knowing that his family depends on whatever meagre earnings he can bring home. The 35-year-old waste worker and his wife Manju, a domestic worker, had migrated from the eastern Indian state of Bihar to Faridabad in Haryana, part of Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), in search of a better life, especially for his 3 children. After all, Faridabad is a major industrial city in Delhi NCR and offers livelihood options to thousands of migrant workers like Manoj. But four decades later, Manoj still struggles to put food on the table for himself and his family. “My energy levels are always low because I don’t eat enough,” Manoj admits, his voice tinged with resignation. For waste workers like Manoj —known as Safai Mitras—the lack of consistent access to food, let alone nutritious food, is more than a daily challenge. It is a way of life they have learnt to live with –although it shouldn’t be because food security is a basic human right, as declared by the United Nations, and a vital component of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), which aims to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030.
But for marginalized communities like the Safai Mitras this is often a distant goal. Recognizing this, UNDP under its Utthaan initiative along with its partner organization The Centre for Education, Governance and Policy (CEGP Foundation) has stepped in. Through awareness sessions in communities where Safai Mitras live, they connect vulnerable families to essential government schemes designed to provide food security. A vital aspect of this effort is ensuring access to Ration Cards, an official document issued under India’s National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, to households eligible to buy subsidized food grains from the Public Distribution System. According to the UNDP’s assessment of the socio-economic status of waste pickers in India, about 50% of Safai Mitras possess ration cards but many are still deprived of ration cards. Many still face barriers to accessing benefits due to a lack of knowledge about available schemes and insufficient documentation. The cards provide both dignity and access to essential nutrition, enabling them to
endure the physically demanding nature of their jobs.
When Manoj received his ration card, his life changed. With the support Utthaan linkage camps organised by CEGP Foundation , his family now receives monthly staples such as wheat, rice, and
pulses. And thanks to the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, even if they migrate to another city for work, they can still access their food entitlements without being tied to their place of origin. For the first time in years, Manoj no longer has to agonize over how to feed his children. “Having regular access to food lets me dream about my children’s future rather than just survive,” Manoj says, his voice filled with both relief and hope. The transformation in Manoj’s life is a testament to the broader significance of government programmes like the NFSA, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), and ONORC. More than 800 million people in India benefit from these food security initiatives. Initiatives like POSHAN Abhiyaan now POSHAN 2.0 aim to improve the nutritional status of adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, the program addresses malnutrition by enhancing nutrition content. It promotes traditional nutritional practices and locally available nutritious foods for adequate nutrition, while the Mid-Day Meal Scheme for school children strengthens the food security net for marginalized communities.
But Manoj’s story is not a solitary one. Many other Safai Mitras, with the help of civil society organisations like CEGP Foundation are finding an alternative to bring a change. These organizations serve as vital connectors, helping Safai Mitras update essential identification documents like Aadhar, Voter IDs, and PAN Cards. These documents are required to access social protection schemes such as the ration card programme.They also conduct educational programmes that raise awareness of the various government initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Safai Mitras. And these initiatives are founded on a fundamental belief – food security is not just about having enough to eat—it is about having the stability and dignity to focus on
building a better future.
“Today my family enjoys the simple joy of having a nutritious meal every day,” says
Manoj. “And I can sleep at night.” At the end of the day, Manoj’s story reminds us that food security
programmes allow marginalized communities to think beyond survival—to dream, hope, and build better futures for themselves and their children.
“Food security is foundational to building resilient communities. When we address hunger, we are not just addressing a single issue—we are laying the groundwork for broader social inclusion and justice. This aligns with SDG 2, to end hunger, and SDG 10, to reduce inequalities. By working towards both, we help marginalized communities not just survive, but thrive.”
Vilas Nanda, Co-Founder and Director, CEGP Foundation.
UNDP India, 2024