ABSTRACT
Waste picking is entrenched as a caste-based occupation in Nepal. It has been deeply stigmatized as “work for untouchable people.” The government of Nepal legally abolished and criminalized any caste-based discrimination including “untouchability” (the ostracism of a specific caste) in 1963. Previously, it prevailed in society for a long time. Gradually with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2006, after a decade-long civil war, the Nepali state has been firm about its strong commitment to eliminate caste-based discrimination that exists in the country. Several legal and policy reforms have been enacted, one of which is the Untouchability (Offence and Punishment) Act which came into action in 2011. This chapter illustrates the plight of informal solid waste workers in Nepal as an example of occupation-based environmental injustice. It also profiles efforts to achieve environmental justice by and on behalf of these workers through a comprehensive hygiene project.
