GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of Vulnerable Sections
Source: TH
Context: According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), all unsanitary latrines had been made sanitary under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and the problem of manual scavenging is eliminated.
The practice of manual scavenging in India:
- Meaning: Manual scavenging includes the disposal of human excreta manually from dry latrines, and public streets and the maintenance and sweeping of septic tanks, sewers and gutters.
- Prevalence in India:
- As many as 58,000 people worked as manual scavengers as of 2018.
- In 2022, 48 people died due to hazardous cleaning of sewers in 2022. This number was 49 in 2021, 19 in 2020, and 117 in 2019.
- The practice, which is considered the worst remaining evidence of untouchability, is most prevalent among people from lower castes/Dalits.
Attempts to abolish manual scavenging:
Salient features of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013:
- It bans manual scavenging.
- It widened the definition of manual scavengers by including it in all forms of manual removal of human excreta.
- It lays a key focus on rehabilitating manual scavengers by organising training programs (at a stipend of Rs. 3000) and offering scholarships to their children.
- It makes the offence of manual scavenging cognizable and non-bailable.
- It makes it obligatory for employers to provide protective tools to the workers.
Other efforts:
- The scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers: Under this, ~58,000 identified sewer workers have been given a one-time cash payout of ₹40,000 each.
- In addition, ~22,000 of them have been connected to skills training programmes.
- NAMASTE scheme: For 100% mechanisation of sewer work. The scheme (launched in 2022) for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers has now been merged with the NAMASTE scheme.
Concerns:
- Lack of funding: The Union Budget 2023-24 showed no allocation for the rehabilitation scheme and ₹100 crore allocation for the NAMASTE scheme.
- Less than half of the identified sewer workers are connected to skills training programmes.
- Despite all efforts, manual scavenging is still practised in India. Just 520 districts across the country had declared themselves free of manual scavenging.
Way ahead:
- The immediate focus of administrations should be to ensure zero deaths due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
- All local bodies must identify and profile all septic tank/sewer workers in their respective areas.
- Provide them with occupational training and safety equipment.
- Sign them up for health insurance under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Best practices:
- The Bandicoot Robot is the world’s first robotic scavenger, developed as a Make in India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative by the startup Genrobotics.
- Kerala became the first state in the country to use robotic technology (Bandicoot) to clean all its commissioned manholes.
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