In the quiet of the night, Saraswathi gets to work diligently sweeping the city’s streets. Carrying a broom and pushing a dustbin, she cleans the road from 10 pm to 3 pm. She has four others on the shift with her walking along Nungambakkam High Road, cleaning the dust, garbage and debris collected there.

 

I’ve been doing this job for six years. The timings are comfortable for me as I have to take care of my grandchildren during the day. It is like any other job. I come, I clean and I leave.

I took up series of odd jobs as a domestic help and cook, and I switch jobs depending on my family situation. I live in Aminjikarai and take the bus to work every day.

 

I had to step up for my family after my daughter-in-law fell ill and was not able to care for her. I do most of the chores at home too. My son works as an office boy and leaves early in the morning. Once the cleaning work is done, I take a break along with my colleagues and wait for the first bus to return home. After that, I cook and help my grandchildren get ready for the school before taking rest for the day. I prepare dinner and leave the house again at 9 pm to reach my spot. 

 

Though the wheelie bin helps, sweeping is a tough task. I sometimes have trouble breathing due to a lot of dust. But it is the nature of the job. It helps us put food on the plate so I respect what I do and try to do my best every day. It is good to know I am helping the people and my city in a small way.