Mr. Hariprasad V M will present his APS as per the detail below:

Date: 27th February 2024

Time:  3 pm - 4 pm hrs.

Venue:  CTARA Conference room - 2

Title: Informality, Marginality and Agency: A study of Sanitation work and workers in Alleppey town, India

Guide: Prof. N C Narayanan

Co-Guide : Prof. Pankaj Sekhsaria 

RPC Members: Prof. Pennan Chinnasamy, Prof. Himanshu Burte

Abstract:

A critical part of addressing marginality within the sanitation chain requires addressing the concerns of sanitation workers who play a major role in maintaining sanitation systems yet remain an invisible and unrecognized labourer working in unsafe environments. Sanitation labourers usually come from marginalized groups, often economically disadvantaged or from lower castes or religious minorities. Their work is majorly understood as precarious and hazardous employment involving uncertainties. In the context of these larger concerns, my study examines the living and working conditions of sanitation workers in the coastal town of Alleppey, India. My study holds significance within the context of comprehending sanitation labour in a non-sewered small town characterized by ecological fragility. My research is rooted in the sociological and developmental understanding of sanitation labour and urban informality. It further explores the various forms of marginality faced by sanitation workers and the different ways in which they assert their agency, mainly their labour rights and collective bargaining powers. The research addresses the following questions; How have sanitation practices evolved in Alleppey town between 1947 and 2021? How do different sanitation workers in Alleppey town experience marginality? How do different type of sanitation workers in Alleppey town assert their agency?

The research questions are addressed through a qualitative inquiry employing a case-study research methodology. The study incorporates three distinct case studies: Semi-formal Harita Karama Sena workers (Solid Waste management workers), Formal municipal sanitation workers, and informal fecal sludge management workers. The study findings reveal a noticeable interrelation among three different concepts utilized to address the research problem, particularly highlighting the interconnectedness between marginality and informality as significant challenges for all types of sanitation workers. Furthermore, the understanding of agency across the three different cases is dependent upon their placement along the formal-informal spectrum, offering further clarity on how marginality escalates in the absence of agency.