• The Supreme Court has issued strict directions prohibiting manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad on January 29.
• In a verdict on October 20, 2023, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and state governments to completely eradicate manual scavenging across the country.
• The SC bench observed that an affidavit filed by the Union government lacked “clarity” on the steps taken for eradicating manual scavenging and sewer cleaning.
• It further directed chief executive officers (or equivalent officials) of these cities to file precise affidavits detailing how and when manual scavenging and sewer cleaning will be entirely halted.
Manual scavenging
• Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling in any manner, human excreta from dry latrines and sewers. It often involves using the most basic of tools such as buckets, brooms and baskets.
• The practice of manual scavenging is linked to caste system where so-called lower castes were expected to perform this job. Manual scavengers are amongst the poorest and most disadvantaged communities.
• In order to liberate the manual scavengers from their traditional occupation and to provide rehabilitation to them, a National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (NSLRS) was launched in 1992.
Measures to eradicate manual scavenging
• The first legislative initiative to eradicate manual scavenging was taken with the enactment of ‘Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993’ under which construction and maintenance of dry latrines and employment of persons to clean them was prohibited.
• The inhuman practice of manual scavenging, arising from the continuing existence of insanitary latrines and a highly iniquitous caste system, persisted in various parts of the country.
• It emerged from the House Listing and Housing Census 2011 released by the Registrar General of India that more than 26 lakh insanitary latrines still existed. This includes about 7 lakh insanitary latrines serviced by humans.
• To correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by the manual scavengers, and to rehabilitate them to a life of dignity, Parliament enacted the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013’ in September, 2013 which came into effect December 6, 2013.
• As per the Act, manual scavenging is a banned activity in the country with effect from December 6, 2013. No person or agency can engage or employ any person for manual scavenging from the above date. Any person or agency who engages any person for manual scavenging in violation of the provisions of the Act is punishable under Section 8 of the Act, with imprisonment up to two years or fine up to Rs 1 lakh or both.
• Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, launched on October 1, 2021, includes a new component — Used Water Management — with one of the objectives of eradication of hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks, through mechanisation of sewer and septic tank cleaning operations for which Central share funds for Urban Local Bodies with population less than one lakh are released for procuring adequate numbers of septic tank desludging equipments.
• The government approved Rs 371 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban 2.0). These funds are earmarked for smaller towns to acquire advanced machinery and improve their mechanisation levels.
• This initiative is aimed at reducing the reliance on manual labour for sanitation tasks and ensuring safer working conditions.
• States have reported significant improvements in their mechanisation capabilities, with access to more than 5,000 standard septic tank vehicles, 1,100 hydrovac machines, and 1,000 desilting machines.
• Additionally, advisories have been issued to provide safety gear to workers, establish helpline facilities for emergency desludging, and conduct Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities to raise awareness.
• A protocol was developed, highlighting the minimum standards in mechanisation of sewer and septic tank cleaning operations to minimise the need for hazardous manual entry and prevent casualties of SafaiMitras.
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing a Self Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) through National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC). Under the scheme, identified manual scavengers, one from each family, are provided one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000.
• Capital Subsidy up to Rs 5 lakh has been provided to 2,313 manual scavengers and their dependents to take up alternate self-employment projects.
National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)
To tackle hazardous cleaning specially, the government has formulated a scheme called ‘National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem’ (NAMASTE).
Its objectives are:
i) Formalisation and rehabilitation of manual scavengers and persons engaged in hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
ii) Promotion of safe and mechanised cleaning of sewers and septic tanks through trained and certified sanitation workers.
NAMASTE aims to achieve the following outcomes:
i) Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India.
ii) All sanitation work to be performed by formalised skilled workers.
iii) No sanitation workers to come in direct contact with human faecal matter.
iv) Strengthening and capacitating Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) to ensure safe delivery of mechanised sanitation services.
v) Sanitation workers are collectivised into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises.
vi) Sewer and septic tank sanitation workers and their dependents also have access to livelihoods by providing capital subsidy for purchase of sanitation related equipment.
vii) Increased awareness amongst sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered Private Sanitation Service Organisations (PSSOs) and skilled & certified sanitation workers only.
viii) Extending Health Insurance Scheme benefits under AB-PMJAY to sewer and septic tank sanitation workers & manual scavengers and their family members.
ix) Occupational safety training to sewer and septic tank sanitation workers.
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