India, Aug. 26 -- The future of SWaCH, India's largest waste picker-run cooperative, hangs in the balance as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) considers adopting the Indore model of waste collection, a shift that could drastically alter the city's current waste management system.

On Sunday, nearly 1,500 waste pickers marked SWaCH's 18th anniversary by raising concerns about the proposed changes. Recognised by the Ministry of Cooperation as a national model - alongside Gujarat's SEWA, SWaCH currently serves over 900,000 households in Pune. Its decentralised, doorstep waste collection model allows waste pickers to earn directly from user fees and recyclable materials, while delivering high rates of segregation and recycling at minimal c...