Manual Scavenging

IN NEWS:

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is preparing to undertake a nationwide survey to enumerate all Sanitation workers engaged in cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

MANUAL SCAVENGING IN INDIA:

• According to the UN India, manual scavenging refers to “the practice of manual cleaning, disposing, or handling of the human excreta, in any manner, from dry latrines and sewers.”
• In 1993, India banned the employment of people as manual scavengers. In 2013, the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act put an end to the practice in any form.
• However, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)’s latest annual report (2019-20) noted that the practice is still continuing in both rural and urban areas.
• As per the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC-2011) data of manual scavengers, there were 1.82 Lakh manual scavengers in the rural areas of the country.
• However, according to a parliament response from December 2021, a total of 58,098 manual scavengers have been identified as per the criteria laid down in the 2013 act.

WHY IT PERSISTS:

• Denial of existence:
  • Though the Government recently stated in Parliament that there are no deaths due to manual scavenging, as per the Safai Karmachari Andolan there are an estimated 7.7 lakh sewer cleaners and 1760 deaths of sewer cleaners have been reported since the year 2000.
• Caste and gender-based discriminations:
  • Due to the prevalence of the caste system, such harmful tasks are mostly done by those belonging to the lower rung of the hierarchy particularly women. Based on the available data, 97.25% of Safai Karamcharis belonged to Scheduled Castes.

• Poor policy implementation:
  • Rehabilitation schemes such as one-time cash assistance, skill development training, and subsidies are provided to a smaller number of persons out of the identified manual scavengers.
  • For instance, as of 2019, the Self Employment Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (SRMS), had covered a mere 6 percent of Safai Karamcharis.
• Weak institutions:
  • In the recent annual report of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), the Chairperson admits that the organisation lacks the resources, and that the results over the years have not matched the expectation.
• Lack of alternative opportunities:
  • Lack of skill development coupled with poverty and social stigma against Safai Karamcharis have resulted in very few alternate employment opportunities for them. To make ends meet, these social groups continue to pursue manual scavenging.
• Data deficiency:
  • There is a huge issue with data related to various aspects of manual scavengers. Such discrepancies in data result in inefficient enforcement of legislations and schemes formulated for relief & rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
• Institutionalization of the practice:
  • Despite government outlawing the use of direct human labour in the cleaning of sewage, municipal corporations and government agencies have institutionalized the practice. Eg: SKA reports that in Railways there are 36,176 railway sewer cleaners.
• COVID-induced vagaries:
  • COVID-19 has pushed many into poverty and the vulnerable sections have turned to manual scavenging activities for livelihood.
  • The social exclusion got even more enhanced due to the stigma that surrounded sanitation workers involved in COVID-19 relief works.
• Prevalence of dry latrines:
  • Indian Railways is the largest user of dry toilets in India which require manual cleaning, making it the biggest violator.
  • Under the Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM), millions of septic tanks are being built in rural India. But without proper faecal sludge management, the onus to clean the dry toilets shifts to the lowest rung of the society.
• Engineering challenges:
  • Mechanised scavenging remains limited largely to urban areas of the country. Also, most of the sewers and septic tanks have engineering defects which means that after a point, machines cannot clean it.

IMPACT OF MANUAL SCAVENGING:

• Violation of human rights:
  • Right to live with human dignity is one of the most important rights which is embodied under Article 21. However, the persistence of manual scavenging violates this right.
• Undermines social contract:
  • The practice of manual scavenging poses several questions over equal access to protection offered by the Indian Constitution and the Indian judiciary guaranteeing rights to all its citizens.
• Threat to life:
  • Manual scavengers are exposed to gases such as hydrogen disulfide, ammonia, and methane. Long exposure to these lead to death by asphyxia.
  • A total of 321 persons lost their lives while cleaning sewers and septic tanks between 2017 and 2021, as per government records presented in Lok Sabha.
• Poor health outcomes:
  • Manual scavengers are exposed to diseases like cholera, hepatitis, tuberculosis and typhoid, and physical harm due to dilapidated work environment. This, coupled with poor nutrition perpetuates the vicious cycle of poverty.
• Perpetuation of social discrimination:
  • Prevalence of manual scavenging perpetuates the discrimination and stigma against the people involved in them and restricts their scope to realize their true human potential.

MEASURES AGAINST MANUAL SCAVENGING:

I. LEGISLATIVE:

• The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993:
  • It criminalized the employment of manual scavengers to clean dry latrines.
• The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013:
  • It was also passed with the objective to end manual scavenging. The 2013 Act also focused on the rehabilitation of manual scavengers and the introduction of mechanization to prevent manual scavenging.
  • Under this Act, any person who engages an individual for manual scavenging is punishable with imprisonment up to two years and/or a penalty of Rs. 1 lakh.

II. INSTITUTIONAL:

• National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK):
  • The commission was set up in 1993 under the NCSK Act 1993 for a period of three years. Since the Act ceased to have effect from 2004, the tenure of the NCSK has been extended as a non-statutory body from time to time through resolutions.
  • Its objectives are to investigate the conditions of Safai Karamcharis, investigate grievances with respect to the implementation of schemes and make recommendations to the Central Government.
  • The Commission comprises one Chairman and four members, including a lady member and the Secretary along with other supporting staff.
• National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC):
  • NSKFDC is in operation since 1997, as an Apex Corporation for the all-round socio-economic upliftment of the Safai Karamcharis and their dependents throughout India, through various loan and non-loan based schemes.

III. POLICY:

• Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge:
  • On the occasion of World Toilet Day November 19, 2020 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge-2021.
  • It is aimed at preventing hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and to promote mechanised cleaning.
  • It also intends to thrust upon providing proper protective gears and equipment and identification of informal workers and thereby integrating them into formal mechanism.
• Self-Employment Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (SRMS):
  • Under the scheme, identified manual scavengers and their dependents are provided with rehabilitation benefits such as onetime cash assistance, loans at concessional rates and skill development training upto with stipend.
  • NSKFDC has been designated as the Nodal Agency for implementation of the SRMS under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

IV. OTHERS:

• Bezwada Wilson and Safai Karamchari Andolan:
  • Bezwada Wilson is an Indian activist and one of the founders and National Convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA).
  • He was born in Karnataka, in a community engaged in manual scavenging. In 1986, Bezwada began his fight to end manual scavenging.
  • He led a nationwide movement ‘safai karmachiari andolan’ bringing together Dalit activists. The movement was launched in 1993 after he filed a PIL in the Supreme Court listing nationwide violators of 1993 Prohibition Act.
  • His organization, Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), has served as a watchdog pushing for legal action to demolish dry toilets across India and prepare manual scavengers, most of who are dalits, to pursue new sources of income.
• Technological solution: Bandicoot robot
  • The Bandicoot is a spider-shaped robotic machine that is engineered for cleaning any type of sewer manholes.
  • Developed by Genrobotics, the technology is currently used in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Assam, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

WAY FORWARD:

• Collect reliable data:
  • The task of identifying the manual scavengers is presently given to the NCSK, who in turn depends on the state governments. Instead of this, the Swachh Survekshan survey can be utilized for collection of nation-wide data.
• Utilise technology:
  • Indian railway has installed 258,906 bio-vacuum toilets in all the long-distance travelling trains. If steps like these are applied in all trains and in municipalities, it can solve the issue of manual scavenging in government enterprise.
• Adopt best practices:
  • Models like Namma Toilets, which is the brainchild of Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation, and other eco-friendly models that have been developed in countries like South Africa should be promoted through information sharing and assistance under SBM.
• Redefine SBM:
  • Though the SBM has been criticised of the problem it creates for manual scavengers, if looked through different lenses, SBM can provide solutions. For this, effective solid waste management, mass awareness through media, avenues for skill development and entrepreneurship for manual scavengers should be given more attention under SBM. 

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Despite being outlawed, manual scavenging continues to persist in India. Discuss the reasons. What measures have the government taken to eradicate manual scavenging in India?