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India can be a surprising place, where life's extremes are openly visible on the streets. Nowhere is this more so than in her ancient pilgrimage towns such as Vrindavan. Friends of Vrindavan's workforce know all about this, since they have taken up the challenge of trying to keep the public areas of Vrindavan clear of refuse. One day in February they received an unusual request: could they please dispose of an unidentified dead body which had been washed up on the town's river front. Vrindavan has many elderly residents who left everything to spend their last days there in preparation for death, so such occurrences are sadly not unusual. The cleaners recovered the body and arranged for a proper cremation in the time-honoured way, scattering the ashes into the holy River Yamuna. The incident was reported in the local newspaper, and demonstrates the variety and urgency of Friends of Vrindavan's cleaning work. 'Our cleaning service has made us a household name,' says Michael Duffy, local director of Friends of Vrindavan (FoV). Michael used to live in London, but now he has settled in Vrindavan to dedicate himself to environmental work. Last summer he recruited a team of sweepers, all of whom belonged to the Harijan community, whose lot in life is to clean up after everyone else. In modern India this community still suffers widespread unemployment and poverty due to discrimination and the demise of the old systems of patronage combined with a lack of public funds. 'The street cleaners want to work for us,' comments Duffy, 'because we pay a fair rate for a fair day's work, fortnightly and on time.' As well as fair wages they are provided with uniforms which are renewed every six months. Most important of all, they gain self-respect and the respect of the community. The cleaners have made a dramatic impact in Vrindavan. Within a few weeks of their appearance FoV were awarded a contract by the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority to clean Vrindavan's busiest quarter, Banke Bihari, through the summer season. They are now working in different parts of the town - markets and residential areas - and finding ways to involve the community as partners to help fund their work wherever it is most needed. Keshava Priya works with Vrindavan's women on a recycling project. 'Vrindavan, as elsewhere in India, has not adapted to the plastic bag very well,' she explains. 'It is used for every imaginable purpose, but differs from the old paper bags in one important aspect - it is not biodegradable. The result is we have piles of plastic refuse accumulating everywhere at a nightmare rate. So we have launched a campaign for a plastic-bag-free Vrindavan. We collect plastic from all over Vrindavan and the ladies from the women's home make it into mats, fruit bowls, garbage bins and bags. They are making 15 different shapes of handwoven baskets from recycled plastic, which we sell in the bazaars as an alternative to plastic bags. Word of FoV's activities is spreading. 'The Agra Town Planning Department asked us to submit a plan and budget for a waste recycling project,' reports Duffy with enthusiasm. 'If our proposal is accepted they will fund us to run it.' But not all goes FoV's way. Cleaning at Banke Bihari had to be discontinued because the local temple trust did not keep up their end of the bargain by paying the local authority for the work. But the Bandhus have for the time being turned their attention to the poorer sections of town, where their presence is more urgently needed. Despite set-backs FoV street cleaning operations have gained support from all levels of the community. Evidence of this comes in the sheaf of letters received from individuals, community groups, school teachers, hospitals, ashrams and committees requesting FoV services and help. The next step is to set up self-sufficient market cleaning operations funded by market traders and local businessmen - encouraging self-help in the community - and to embark upon full-scale recycling of refuse to produce organic fertiliser. 'Everyone wants us to succeed,' says Duffy, 'because they want a cleaner town and we can help them achieve it.'
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