In News:

A recent social audit conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has exposed alarming lapses in the safety and legal safeguards meant to protect sanitation workers. The study, which examined 54 sewer-related deaths across 17 districts in eight States and Union Territories during 2022 and 2023, found that over 90% of the workers who died had no access to basic safety gear or mechanised equipment. Despite legal bans and policy interventions, manual scavenging and hazardous sewer cleaning continue, often resulting in fatalities, primarily among marginalized communities.

What is Manual Scavenging?

Manual scavenging involves the manual handling of human excreta from dry latrines, open drains, sewers, and septic tanks. Although officially prohibited under the 2013 Act, the practice continues under different forms, particularly through hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning.

Key Findings from the Social Audit (2022–2023)

• 150 deaths from hazardous cleaning were recorded nationally during the two-year period.
• In 49 of the 54 deaths audited, no safety equipment was provided.
• In only five cases, the deceased had gloves; just one worker had both gloves and gumboots.
• No mechanised equipment was available in 47 cases; training was provided in only one instance.
• Informed consent was missing in 27 cases; in the 18 cases where consent was obtained, no counselling on risks was given.
• Most workers were individually contracted and not hired through government channels, evading institutional accountability.
• Post-death awareness drives were conducted in only seven locations, and even these were only partially executed.

Constitutional and Legal Safeguards

Constitutional Provisions:

• Article 21: Ensures the right to life with dignity, including safe working conditions.
• Article 23: Prohibits forced labour, applicable when workers are compelled into hazardous tasks.
• Article 42: Calls for humane working conditions and maternity relief.

Legal Framework:

• Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013:
  • Bans manual scavenging.
  • Mandates rehabilitation of identified workers.
• Supreme Court Judgment (2014 – Safai Karamchari Andolan v. Union of India):
  • Ordered ?10 lakh compensation for each sewer/septic tank death.
  • Held the State responsible for implementation failures.

Government Initiatives

NAMASTE Scheme (2023)

The National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) aims to eliminate hazardous cleaning practices.

• 84,902 workers have been identified across 36 States/UTs.
• Around 50% of them have been provided with PPE kits.
• In Odisha, 100% of identified workers (1,295) have received PPE kits, supported by the Garima Scheme.
• ?20 crore in capital subsidies distributed to 707 sanitation workers.
• 1,000 awareness workshops conducted.
• The scheme has also identified 37,800 waste pickers for support.

Other Key Initiatives:

• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Aims to reduce dependence on manual scavenging through sanitation infrastructure.
• Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan: Campaign to eliminate manual scavenging and ensure rehabilitation.
• Bandicoot Robot: India’s first manhole-cleaning robot, developed in Kerala, which became the first fully robotised state for manhole cleaning in 2023.