In the densely populated informal settlements of Mumbai, a local waste-for-food initiative led by 27-year-old social entrepreneur Shakti Yadav is combining environmental cleanup efforts with food distribution in communities affected by poor sanitation and limited access to nutrition.

Yadav, founder of the “Buy Food with Plastic” initiative, operates a system in which residents exchange discarded plastic bottles for prepared meals. According to the programme’s operating model, 20 plastic bottles are accepted in return for one hot meal.The initiative, launched in 2020, has so far distributed more than 42,000 meals, supported approximately 4,500 people and conducted sustainability awareness activities involving over 1,000 students, according to figures cited in the report.

Yadav said the project was shaped by his own experience growing up in a Mumbai slum, where seasonal flooding and poor waste management created recurring public health risks.“During the monsoons, sewage water would flood the streets,” he said. “People had to wade through it because discarded plastic choked the drains.”

According to Yadav, blocked drainage systems contributed to repeated outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and malaria, in vulnerable neighbourhoods. His initiative was designed to address what he described as two interconnected urban challenges: unmanaged plastic waste and food insecurity.The programme operates through a circular collection and redistribution model.

Plastic bottles collected from participating residents are transferred to recycling facilities, where some workers are recruited from the same communities supplying the waste. The recycled material is then repurposed into products including flowerpots and tea coasters, which are later sold to companies, including international corporations.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital and one of the country’s most densely populated cities, generates thousands of tonnes of municipal solid waste daily. Plastic waste management has remained a major challenge for urban authorities, particularly during monsoon periods when clogged drainage infrastructure increases flood risks in low-income settlements.

Yadav said the project was inspired by a similar initiative operating in the United States. He contacted the founder of that programme and developed his own local adaptation focused on conditions in Mumbai’s informal settlements.An MBA graduate and the first member of his family to pursue higher education, Yadav initially managed the project while working in a corporate job.

He later left full-time employment to focus entirely on expanding the initiative.The transition initially faced resistance within his family. According to the report, Yadav’s mother questioned the sustainability of non-profit work and believed such efforts were generally undertaken by financially secure individuals or organizations.Yadav said he eventually persuaded her by demonstrating how the programme could simultaneously reduce waste accumulation and improve food access in underserved communities.

The meals distributed through the initiative are intended to support residents in slum areas where access to affordable and nutritious food remains inconsistent. By linking food distribution with waste collection, the programme also attempts to incentivize recycling participation among residents who may otherwise lack formal waste disposal options.

Environmental awareness has become another component of the initiative’s outreach strategy. Yadav and his team regularly visit schools and residential communities to conduct educational sessions focused on sustainability and waste disposal practices.“Previously, nobody told me that throwing plastic away was harmful,” Yadav said, describing the lack of environmental education during his childhood.

The awareness campaigns target younger audiences in particular, with organizers seeking to promote behavioural changes related to littering, recycling and environmental responsibility.The initiative’s visibility has expanded beyond Mumbai in recent years. According to the report, Yadav represented India in Germany during a programme focused on sustainability and climate change research.

He was also awarded the 2023 Cross-Cultural Program Fellowship.The project currently operates in selected slum clusters across Mumbai, although Yadav said he intends to expand its reach across additional parts of the city.Urban policy experts have increasingly emphasized the relationship between waste management, flooding and public health risks in Indian metropolitan regions.

During annual monsoon periods, low-income settlements often experience disproportionate exposure to waterlogging and sanitation failures due to inadequate drainage systems and high concentrations of unmanaged waste.

Plastic waste has become a central issue in municipal governance discussions across India, particularly after several state governments introduced restrictions on single-use plastics and expanded recycling regulations in recent years. Enforcement and waste segregation, however, remain inconsistent across many urban districts.

Programmes such as “Buy Food with Plastic” operate outside formal municipal systems but increasingly form part of localized efforts aimed at combining environmental management with social welfare objectives.The initiative also reflects a growing trend among younger social entrepreneurs in India seeking hybrid solutions that combine recycling, employment generation and food distribution.

By connecting waste collection with direct community incentives, such models attempt to address both environmental and economic pressures simultaneously.Yadav said his long-term objective remains focused on improving conditions within communities similar to the one where he was raised.

“My goal is to eradicate both plastic waste and hunger,” he said.

Fire and rescue officials said they were alerted at around 1:32 a.m., as flames spread rapidly across one of Sabah’s water villages, where houses built on stilts stand in close proximity. District fire chief Jimmy Lagung said weather conditions and structural density contributed to the speed of the fire, while low tide hindered access to open water sources for firefighting operations.

Police in Sandakan said no fatalities had been reported, though thousands of residents were affected and forced to evacuate as the fire engulfed large sections of the settlement. The affected communities include some of Malaysia’s most vulnerable populations, with many residents living in informal housing and lacking secure access to public services.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the federal government was coordinating with state authorities to deliver immediate relief, including basic necessities and temporary shelter for displaced residents. He said ensuring the safety of those affected and providing rapid assistance remained the government’s priority.

Water villages in Sabah are particularly susceptible to fire outbreaks due to their wooden construction, high density and limited infrastructure, factors that can complicate emergency response efforts and increase the scale of damage once fires take hold.

At a crowded platform in Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi, 35-year-old Raju Prasad and his family prepare to leave the capital after months of struggling to secure basic necessities. Having migrated from Uttar Pradesh less than a year ago in search of work, Prasad now says the rising cost of food and an acute shortage of cooking fuel have made it impossible for his family to survive in the city.

Prasad, who worked as a ragpicker alongside his wife, said the family earned about 500 rupees per day through long hours of manual labour. However, the depletion of their cooking gas supply nearly two weeks ago marked a turning point. With no access to affordable replacements and limited alternatives, their savings were quickly exhausted. He said the family initially resorted to collecting firewood, but even that option has since run out, forcing them to return to their village in Gorakhpur.

The situation reflects a broader trend unfolding across urban centres in India, where supply disruptions linked to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have driven up fuel prices and reduced availability. The shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), widely used for cooking in urban households and small businesses, has had cascading effects on food access and affordability, particularly among migrant workers and low-income groups.

In the same railway station, 25-year-old Sarfaraz, a construction worker from Bihar, waits for funds from his family to purchase a ticket home. Employed at the construction site of the Jewar Noida International Airport, he said his daily wage of around 550 rupees was no longer sufficient to cover rising living costs. His gas supply ran out nearly 20 days ago, and he has been unable to secure a replacement due to both shortages and sharply inflated prices in informal markets.

Sarfaraz said the cost of a gas cylinder has increased from approximately 900 rupees to as high as 4,500 rupees in the black market, placing it beyond reach for most daily wage earners. He added that food prices outside have also doubled, limiting access to even basic meals. “I’ve not had proper food for the past two days,” he said, noting that his savings had been depleted.

Urban food systems in cities such as Delhi rely heavily on a dense network of small eateries, roadside vendors, and informal food services that depend on LPG for daily operations. The shortage has disrupted these networks, leading to closures, reduced menus, and higher prices. This has disproportionately affected migrant workers, students, and other low-income residents who depend on inexpensive prepared food rather than home cooking.Restaurant owners report significant operational challenges.

Anil, who has managed a small restaurant in Nehru Place for three decades, said he has never experienced a similar disruption. He confirmed that rising input costs have forced him to increase menu prices while removing several items. He has also reverted to traditional cooking methods using a chulha, or open-fire stove, which is slower and less efficient.

Anil added that declining customer footfall and higher operational costs are putting pressure on his business and workforce. With around 10 employees dependent on the establishment, he said prolonged disruption could lead to job losses if conditions do not improve.

Government representatives acknowledge supply constraints but maintain that efforts are underway to stabilize distribution. Praveen Shankar Kapoor, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, said authorities are working to address shortages in both domestic and commercial LPG supply chains. He stated that while consumers using formal booking systems are receiving cylinders, smaller users particularly those relying on 5kg cylinders are facing greater challenges.

Kapoor noted that migrant workers and students often fall outside the formal distribution framework, as they are typically not registered under domestic gas consumer schemes. This has left them dependent on informal markets where prices have surged.Students have also reported significant disruption.

At Jamia Millia Islamia, many students from low-income backgrounds depend on shared accommodation and affordable canteen services.

Farheen Naaz, a media student from West Bengal, said she has not had access to cooking gas for 10 days and has been skipping meals as a result. She added that several university canteens have shut down, while those still operating have raised prices.

Naaz said the situation is affecting the health of students, particularly those living in shared housing arrangements. In her accommodation, which houses around 50 women, residents are facing similar constraints due to both fuel shortages and rising food costs.

The shortage has also affected markets for alternative cooking solutions. Retailers report a sharp increase in demand for electric appliances such as induction cooktops and rice cookers. Ahmad, a wholesale trader at ZamZam Crockery, said prices for induction stoves have risen from around 1,300 rupees to 5,000 rupees. He attributed the increase to upstream supply constraints and higher input costs, adding that prices for many electrical cooking appliances have risen significantly.

The convergence of fuel shortages, rising food prices, and limited access to affordable alternatives has triggered a reverse migration pattern in urban centres. Migrant workers, who form a substantial portion of the informal workforce in cities like Delhi, are increasingly returning to their home villages where food access is relatively more secure and traditional cooking methods remain viable.

At railway stations, scenes of families departing with limited belongings have become more frequent. For many, the decision to leave reflects not only economic strain but also the breakdown of essential urban support systems that sustain daily life for low-income populations.

As Sarfaraz continues to wait for funds to complete his journey home, he checks his phone repeatedly, hoping to join others boarding trains out of the city. His situation underscores the immediate pressures faced by migrant workers, whose livelihoods are closely tied to volatile urban conditions and limited social safety nets.

Child labour continues to persist across multiple sectors despite existing legal frameworks prohibiting its practice, with field reports indicating that economic pressure, weak enforcement and informal employment structures are sustaining its prevalence.

According to practitioners working with vulnerable communities, children are still engaged in labour across agriculture, small-scale manufacturing, domestic work and street-based activities.

They said the problem is particularly acute in informal sectors, where regulation is limited and oversight mechanisms are difficult to enforce.Child rights advocates reported that many families rely on supplementary income generated by children to cope with rising living costs.

They indicated that this economic dependence often leads to children entering the workforce at an early age, sometimes at the expense of their education and well-being. In such cases, work is frequently normalised within households as a necessary survival strategy.

Labour experts noted that while national legislation prohibits hazardous and exploitative child labour, implementation remains inconsistent. They said enforcement agencies are often understaffed and face challenges in identifying violations, particularly in remote or unregulated environments.

In addition, they indicated that legal provisions are sometimes undermined by gaps in monitoring and reporting systems.Field organisations working in urban and rural areas reported that children are commonly found working long hours in conditions that expose them to physical and psychological risks.

They said these include handling heavy loads, exposure to harmful substances and working in unsafe environments without protective measures. In many instances, children are also said to face verbal abuse or exploitation, with limited access to grievance mechanisms.

Education specialists highlighted a strong correlation between child labour and school dropout rates. They reported that children engaged in work often struggle to attend school regularly or complete assignments, leading to early disengagement from formal education.

This, they said, reinforces cycles of poverty by limiting future employment opportunities.Some practitioners observed that migration and displacement are contributing factors.

They said families relocating in search of work may lack access to social services, increasing the likelihood of children entering labour markets. In such contexts, children are often employed in low-paid, informal roles where their age makes them more vulnerable to exploitation.

Stakeholders also pointed to the role of supply chains in sustaining demand for cheap labour. They said small businesses and subcontractors may employ children to reduce costs, particularly in industries where profit margins are narrow.

Without adequate traceability, they added, such practices can remain hidden within broader production networks.Government officials have maintained that policy measures are in place to address the issue, including rehabilitation programmes and awareness campaigns.

However, observers said the scale of implementation varies significantly across regions, with some areas lacking the resources needed to deliver effective interventions.Non-governmental organisations reported that rescue and rehabilitation efforts face logistical and social challenges.

They said that even when children are withdrawn from labour, reintegration into education systems is not always straightforward. Families may continue to face financial hardship, increasing the risk of children returning to work.

Experts emphasised the importance of addressing root causes, including poverty, limited access to quality education and social protection gaps. They said that without comprehensive strategies targeting these underlying factors, enforcement alone is unlikely to eliminate child labour.

They further indicated that greater coordination between government agencies, civil society and private sector actors is required to strengthen monitoring and accountability. Improved data collection and reporting mechanisms were also identified as critical to understanding the scale and nature of the problem.

Practitioners stressed that child labour is evolving in response to economic and social changes. They said that as enforcement increases in formal sectors, the practice may shift into less regulated spaces, making it harder to detect.

This trend, they warned, requires adaptive policy responses and sustained attention from authorities.

Field reports suggest that while legal frameworks provide a foundation for addressing child labour, gaps in enforcement, economic pressures and structural inequalities continue to limit their effectiveness.