Articles by Kavya Michael

Kavya Michael is a post-doctoral researcher in Indian Institute of Human Settlements. Her doctoral thesis focuses on the linkages between inequalities and environmental change in an Indian context, with a special focus issues of climate justice in India. Co-author Tanvi Deshpande (tdeshpande@iihs.ac.in), is a research associate at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and works on the CARIAA|ASSAR research programme. Her research interests include understanding vulnerability, response mechanisms and cross scalar and temporal issues in an urban setting.

Living on the edge: A photo-essay on Bengaluru’s migrant waste pickers

by May 10, 2017

Climatic and non-climatic factors intersect and create an entire tribe of marginalized and vulnerable people. Incidentally they form a large proportion of the informal economy of Bengaluru and other cities. This photo essay looks at the living and working conditions of one of the most marginalized groups in Bengaluru namely the waste pickers. The focus is on those who live in undeclared, blue tent, temporary squatter settlements. Our field research revealed that most of the inhabitants in these settlements are migrants from West Bengal, a distinct region in the East of India. For the residents of the informal settlements that…

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