Manual Scavenging in India

Why in the news?

The Central Government report states that No deaths have been registered due to Manual Scavenging in the past five years.

Report in detail:

1.       No cases of death reported due to manual scavenging in the past five years.

2.      100% of the districts accounting to ~530 districts in the states of Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and few others have been declared 'free of manual scavenging'.

3.      Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Telangana, Andhra pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand have the highest number of districts recording manual scavenging.

4.      Uttar Pradesh which had the highest number of manual scavengers in 2018, is now declared as 90% free of manual scavenging.

About:

1.       What is Manual Scavenging?

Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human excreta by hand from sewers or septic tanks.

2.      What are the efforts taken to eradicate the practice of Manual Scavenging?

a.      The Civil Rights Act of 1955

·         It seeks to protect anyone from being forced to engage in Manual Scavenging.

b.      Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993

·         Banned the practice of Manual Scavenging in India.

c.       Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

·         A stronger legislation with compensation and rehabilitation measutes directed to the victims & kin of the deceased manual scavengers.

d.      The Building and Maintenance of Insanitary Latrines Act of 2013

·         Effectively prohibits construction or maintenance of unsanitary toilets.

·         Outlaws hiring of any person for their manual scavenging, hazardous cleaning of sewers or septic tanks.

·         It also provides constitutional responsibility to provide alternative jobs to manual scavenging communities as redressal for historical injustice and indignity.

e.      The Supreme Court of India (2014)  held that India’s constitution requires state intervention to end manual scavenging and “rehabilitate” all people engaged in the practice. This meant to end the practice along with the abuses faced by communities engaged in manual scavenging.

f.        The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

·         officials shall be held accountable for not properly enforcing relevant laws against manual scavenging.

g.      National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

·         Main focus was to promote mechanisation.

·         Training to be provided to sewer and septic tank workers.

·         Use of Protective gear during work, health insurance will be provided to all the sanitation workers.

·         The scheme shall be implemented in all urban local bodies in the country.

h.     Swatchh Bharat Mission

·         Building sanitary toilets across all the villages of India, shall effectively reduce hiring Manual scavengers to clean open latrines / dry toilets.

i.        Swachhta Udyami Yojana of National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation

·         Concessional loans will be provided to safaikaramcharis, manual scavengers & their dependants and the Urban Local Bodies & other agencies responsible for cleaning, for procurement of sanitation related instruments/vehicles.

j.        Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)

·         A central-sector scheme

·         Manual scavengers, the sanitation workers and their dependants will be provided capital subsidy up to Rs. 5.00 lakh for procurement of instruments/vehicles for mechanized cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

Why is the practice still prevalent?

1.       Private contractors of cleaning works hire manual scavengers, who are rarely held accountable by the authorities.

2.      Lack of legal awareness and Education and unaware of their Right to Refuse prevalent among manual scavengers who hail from a historically discriminated community.

3.      Non-linkage to the sewer lines of a majority of 60% toilets demands manual cleaning, for which disadvantageous people are hired.

4.      Failure in implementing laws by administrative bodies like panchayats in villages and municipal corporations in cities due to their caste affiliations, unaccountability and local societal pressures from so-called higher castes in the local community.

5.      Entrenched attitudes and discriminatory practices:

Untouchability and social isolation are intrinsically related to manual scavenging cementing caste oppression into a waged “occupation”. People who deny manual scavenging face intense social pressures, including threats of violence and expulsion from their village.

6.      Patriarchy compounds the problem of manual scavenging making women in the community doubly vulnerable.

 Well implemented laws at the local level with a check mechanism for accountability along with technological interventions for full mechanisation shall provide a long-term solution to the injustice & human right violation faced by the manual scavengers.