On a foggy, winter morning in January, I wake up at 5.30 AM (on a Sunday, no less) and cycle to the edge of the campus. I am one of the Waste Management Committee volunteers who are going to accompany waste collectors to find out which houses are not segregating their waste. I have also convinced R to tag along.
While waiting for everyone to assemble, I sip on a chai I didn’t ask for, given to me by the MT shop-owner looking for बोहनी. Gradually, the other volunteers show up. We are allotted 2 areas each, which we will visit with the designated waste collectors. On our way to Park 67, which is where we will begin, the bhaiya and I chat about the winter, the fog, the cold, etc. I quietly follow him as he expertly navigates and lugs around 2 big dustbins, telling me which houses do not segregate waste. I note down the house numbers. We are given some more chai by a friendly couple, whom I talk to about not using plastic cups. Campus is beautiful this time of the year. I see many buildings I haven’t been to, yet.
Bhaiya tells me how people assume nothing feels gross to them. He does not like how they throw soiled diapers and pads without covering them. He also points out how people are not okay with garbage touching dustbins, but humans having to sift through it is approved.
A couple hundred houses later, he says, “मैम, आपने आज 301.5 रुपए का काम कर लिया” (ma’am, you have done 301.5 rupees worth of work today). I smile in return and make my way to eat poha in the hostel.