Manual Scavenging and its Elimination

The International labor organization defines manual scavenging as a task of;-

1. Removal of Human dunk from dry latrines and streets.

2. Cleaning and washing of septic tanks

3. Cleaning and washing of gutters and sewers.

The recent news highlights that just 520 districts across the country have declared themselves free of Manual Scavenging, the Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) of the Social Justice Ministry concluded on its 8th meeting on July 5th, 2023.

All unsanitary latrines have been made sanitary under the swacch Bharat Abhiyaan and the problem of manual scavenging is eliminated. A month ago, the social justice ministry said that 508 districts had declared themselves manual scavenging free.

It banned the practice under the prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR).

• Bans the use of any individual manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of, or otherwise handling in any manner human excreta till its disposal.

• The act recognizes manual scavenging as a "dehumanizing practice"

Reasons for Prevalence of Manual Scavenging:-

1. Indifferent Attitude- continued reluctance on the part of state governments to admit that the practice prevails under their watch.

2. Issues due to outsourcing- Local bodies outsource sewer cleaning tasks to private contractors. Do not maintain proper records on sanitation workers.

3. Social Justice- Practice is driven by caste, class, and income dividers. This makes it difficult for liberated manual scavengers to secure alternatives livelihood.

4. Caste System

5. Low level of technological Intervention

6. Prevalence of Dry toilets

7. Poor Enforcements of Acts & Policies

8. Lack of Alternative career options

Statistics:-

• Social Justice Ministry said in December 2022 that 48 people had died due to hazardous cleaning of sewers in 2022.

Steps Taken To Tackle Manual Scavengers:-

• Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Completely mechanism sewer cleaning, introduce ways for 'on-site' protection and provide compensation to manual scavengers in case of sewer deaths.

• Building and Maintenance of Insanitary Latrines Act of 2013- Outlaws' construction or maintenance of unsanitary toilets, and the hiring of anybody for their manual scavenging, as well as hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

• Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge- For all states to make sewer-cleaning mechanized by April 2021.

• Swachhta Abhiyan App- To identify and geotag the data of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers so that the insanitary latrines can be replaced with sanitary latrines.

• National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)- aims to eradicate unsafe sewer and septic tank cleaning practices.

Way Forward:-

1. Education

2. Use of Technology and Artificial Intelligence

3. Enforcement of Laws

4. Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers

5. Social Awareness