Supreme Court asks government what it has done to end manual scavenging
2 years, 1 month ago

Supreme Court asks government what it has done to end manual scavenging

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court has directed the government to place on record within six weeks the steps taken by it to implement its nearly 10-year-old judgment to end manual scavenging and prevent future generations from the “inhuman practice” while making entry into sewers without safety gear a crime even in emergency situations. A Bench led by Justice S. Ravindra Bhat recently took judicial notice of the fact that manual scavenging and deaths of people trapped in flooded sewer lines continue to be a reality though the practice was banned with the introduction of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines Act, 1993 and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Justice Bhat, hearing a petition filed by Dr. Balram Singh in person, sought details of steps taken by the Centre in pursuance of the 2014 judgment, including rehabilitation of the people falling within the definition of ‘manual scavengers’, abolition/demolition of dry latrines statewise; status of dry latrines and employment of safai karamcharis in cantonment boards and railways; statewise set up of municipal corporations and the nature of equipment deployed by such bodies to mechanise sewage cleaning; and online tracking of sewage deaths and action taken by their authorities, including payment of compensation and rehabilitation of families. The 2014 judgment in the Safai Karamchari case had seen the court direct a one-time cash assistance to people employed as manual scavengers, houses for them, training in livelihood skills for at least one member of their families, concessional loans to prop them up financially and find an occupation, among other welfare measures The judgment had directed ₹10 lakh to be paid in compensation in the case of sewer deaths.

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History of this topic

Deaths Due To Manual Scavenging Expose Claims : Supreme Court Seeks Explanation From Delhi, Kolkata & Hyderabad Authorities
1 month ago

Deaths Due To Manual Scavenging Expose Claims : Supreme Court Seeks Explanation From Delhi, Kolkata & Hyderabad Authorities

Live Law  

The Supreme Court recently expressed dissatisfaction over the affidavits filed by authorities in Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad for failing to explain how and when manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning would be stopped in their cities. Particularly, the Court has noted that Delhi Jal Board, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water & Sewerage Board have not given any explanation …

SC calls for immediate end to manual scavenging in metro cities
Trending News
1 month, 4 weeks ago

SC calls for immediate end to manual scavenging in metro cities

Hindustan Times  

Manual scavenging in major metropolitan cities must immediately stop, the Supreme Court directed on Wednesday, drawing the line for municipal commissioners and chief executive officers of six major cosmopolitan cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, to comply with this order upfront and report compliance in two weeks. Picking up the metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the …

Supreme Court orders to end manual scavenging in 6 metro cities
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Supreme Court orders to end manual scavenging in 6 metro cities

India Today  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a complete ban on manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in six major metropolitan cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. In December 2023, the court instructed the Centre to coordinate with states and gather feedback on efforts to eliminate manual scavenging and sewer cleaning. A recent affidavit from the Union government revealed …

SC orders a stop on manual scavenging in six metros
1 month, 4 weeks ago

SC orders a stop on manual scavenging in six metros

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a complete stop to the practice of manual scavenging and hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks in top metros across the country. “We hereby order manual sewer cleaning and manual scavenging shall be stopped in all top metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad,” a Special Bench of Justices …

Supreme Court Bans Manual Scavenging & Manual Sewer Cleaning In Six Metropolitan Cities
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Supreme Court Bans Manual Scavenging & Manual Sewer Cleaning In Six Metropolitan Cities

Live Law  

The Supreme Court today passed directions banning manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities in a writ petition seeking the eradication of manual scavenging in India.In its order, it stated that in the comprehensive affidavit filed by the Union, there is "no clarity" on the eradication of manual scavenging and sewer cleaning. The Supreme Court today passed …

'We Will Go To Any Extent': Supreme Court Expresses Dismay At Govts Not Implementing Directions To Eradicate Manual Scavenging
3 months, 1 week ago

'We Will Go To Any Extent': Supreme Court Expresses Dismay At Govts Not Implementing Directions To Eradicate Manual Scavenging

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on December 11 orally expressed that "it will go to any extent" to make sure the Court's order is complied with while hearing a Public Interest Litigation praying that the major provisions of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines Act, 1993 as well as the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their …

Manual Scavenging Is State Sanctioned Casteism, Stark Reminder Of Deep-Rooted Discrimination: Madras HC Issues Guidelines For Eradication
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Manual Scavenging Is State Sanctioned Casteism, Stark Reminder Of Deep-Rooted Discrimination: Madras HC Issues Guidelines For Eradication

Live Law  

Lamenting over the persistence of manual scavenging in today's day and age, the Madras High Court has issued a slew of guidelines to eradicate manual scavenging and to ensure compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The court was hearing a plea by Safai Karamchari Andolan seeking to eradicate manual scavenging in the …

SC orders govt to pay ₹30 lakh to families of those who die cleaning sewer
1 year, 5 months ago

SC orders govt to pay ₹30 lakh to families of those who die cleaning sewer

Hindustan Times  

The Supreme Court of India on Friday said that government authorities will have to pay ₹30 lakh as compensation to the kin of those who die while cleaning sewers, PTI reported. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar also said that those who suffer permanent disabilities while cleaning sewers will be paid a minimum compensation of ₹20 …

Supreme Court Expresses Anguish At States Not Implementing Prohibition Of Manual Scavenging Act
1 year, 8 months ago

Supreme Court Expresses Anguish At States Not Implementing Prohibition Of Manual Scavenging Act

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Thursday, while hearing a PIL on implementation of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 asked the Centre, why the states have not taken action on implementation of the Act.A Division Bench of Justice Ravindra Bhat and Justice Aravind Kumar was hearing the matter During the course of the hearing Amicus Curiae …

Justice evades ‘manual scavenging’ victims
1 year, 8 months ago

Justice evades ‘manual scavenging’ victims

Hindustan Times  

Mumbai: A social organisation has written to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and the city collector, claiming that sections under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, were missing from the FIRs in connection with the death of three sanitation workers in last month. HT Image Jan Haq Sangharsh Samiti, which works on …

Supreme Court Asks Centre To Inform Steps Taken To Stop Manual Scavenging, Abolish Dry Latrines
2 years, 1 month ago

Supreme Court Asks Centre To Inform Steps Taken To Stop Manual Scavenging, Abolish Dry Latrines

Live Law  

The Supreme Court has directed the Union of India to place on record the steps taken by it to prevent the employment of manual scavengers as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act 2013.The Court has asked the Centre to inform the steps taken in pursuance of the guidelines issued in the 2014 judgment “Safai …

Supreme Court Asked Centre To File Updated Affidavit In Plea Seeking Criminal Action Against Persons Employing Manual Scavengers Within 3 Weeks
2 years, 5 months ago

Supreme Court Asked Centre To File Updated Affidavit In Plea Seeking Criminal Action Against Persons Employing Manual Scavengers Within 3 Weeks

Live Law  

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, asked the Union Government to file an updated affidavit in a plea seeking initiation of criminal proceedings against officials, agencies, contractors or any other person involved in engaging or employing manual scavengers resulting in their death at work, within a period of 3 weeks. The PIL filed by "Criminal Justice Society of India" also prays …

Manual Scavenging: Madras High Court Directs State To Submit Report On Compensation Paid And Rehabilitation Measures Taken In Four Weeks
3 years, 3 months ago

Manual Scavenging: Madras High Court Directs State To Submit Report On Compensation Paid And Rehabilitation Measures Taken In Four Weeks

Live Law  

Today, Madras High Court has directed the state to submit a report detailing i) the quantum of compensation paid to the families of deceased manual scavengers so far, and ii) rehabilitation measures undertaken for the benefit of family members of those manual scavengers. The court was hearing a batch of petitions preferred seeking directions to ensure the eradication of manual …

Manual Scavenging: Karnataka High Court Grants State Govt. 30 Days For Formulating Uniform Scheme For Grant Of Scholarship To Children Of Deceased
3 years, 5 months ago

Manual Scavenging: Karnataka High Court Grants State Govt. 30 Days For Formulating Uniform Scheme For Grant Of Scholarship To Children Of Deceased

Live Law  

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the State Government to formulate within 30 days a uniform scheme in regards to the grant of scholarships to children and in terms of providing compassionate appointment to legal heirs of deceased, under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Therefore, the state government is granted 30 day's …

Pay Rs 10 lakh compensation each to widows of three septic tank workers: Bombay HC
3 years, 6 months ago

Pay Rs 10 lakh compensation each to widows of three septic tank workers: Bombay HC

India Today  

The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Maharashtra government if it had carried out a survey identifying manual scavengers across the state and what steps it had taken to rehabilitate them. A division bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Madhav Jamdar sought to know how many manual scavengers had died at work since 1993 and if the state government …

Plea in HC to make Centre party to petition for compliance of law on manual scavenging
3 years, 7 months ago

Plea in HC to make Centre party to petition for compliance of law on manual scavenging

India TV News  

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking to implead the Centre as a party to a petition for ensuring strict compliance of the 2013 law on manual scavengers to prevent loss of lives due to manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. Athawale made the statement in a written response to a question asked in the …

Law Students' Plea Seeking Implementation Of Manual Scavengers Act: Allahabad High Court Seeks UP Govt's Response
4 years ago

Law Students' Plea Seeking Implementation Of Manual Scavengers Act: Allahabad High Court Seeks UP Govt's Response

Live Law  

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to file its response in a plea moved seeking implementation of the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Having perused the recommendation made in the plea, the Bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice …

Issue Directions To All Authorities To Stop Manual Scavenging : Karnataka High Court Directs State Govt
4 years, 1 month ago

Issue Directions To All Authorities To Stop Manual Scavenging : Karnataka High Court Directs State Govt

Live Law  

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday suggested to the State government to consider issuing a general direction to all authorities and agencies and instrumentalities of the state for implementation of Rule 3, of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013. A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum said "The …

Madras HC Directs State Govt To File Report On Steps Taken For Rehabilitation Of Manual Scavengers [Read Order]
5 years, 1 month ago

Madras HC Directs State Govt To File Report On Steps Taken For Rehabilitation Of Manual Scavengers [Read Order]

Live Law  

The Madras High Court on Monday asked the State government as to what steps have been taken for the rehabilitation of the families of manual scavengers, apart from payment of compensation to bereaved families. The directions have been passed in a batch of writ petitions, filed against the State for failing to curb manual scavenging, resulting into death of several …

SC raps governments for lack of safety gear for manual scavengers
5 years, 6 months ago

SC raps governments for lack of safety gear for manual scavengers

The Quint  

New Delhi, Sep 18 Observing that caste discrimination continues to exist in society and criticising the deaths of people while involved in cleaning places like manholes and drains, the Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre and state governments for not providing protective gear to such workers. The court's remarks came while hearing the Centre's plea seeking the recall …

Why hasn't there been a single conviction in manual scavenging cases?
7 years, 2 months ago

Why hasn't there been a single conviction in manual scavenging cases?

Deccan Chronicle  

The deaths of workers forced to clean human excreta in manholes, sewage treatment tanks or septic tanks cannot be termed an accident as it amounts to murder. Three workers, Maddhe Gowda, Narayana Swami and Srinivas paid with their lives owing to the abhorrent, inhuman and illegal practice of manual scavenging on January 7 this year in an apartment complex in …

When life and dignity go down the drain
7 years, 2 months ago

When life and dignity go down the drain

Deccan Chronicle  

65 lives lost in six years, in Karnataka alone - manual scavengers, who take on the unholy task of cleaning the city's drains, work in extremely dangerous and toxic conditions that have claimed many a life. In fact, over the last six years 65 manual scavengers have lost their lives across Karnataka, claims the BWSSB Contract Workers' Union. There’s also …

Manual scavenging is a contravention of human rights: Madras High Court
7 years, 8 months ago

Manual scavenging is a contravention of human rights: Madras High Court

Firstpost  

manual scavenging was prima facie a contravention of human rights and the right to live with dignity as per the Constitution, the Madras High Court today directed the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government Holding that manual scavenging was prima facie a contravention of human rights and the right to live with dignity as per the Constitution, the Madras High …

Manual scavengers' plea goes down drain
7 years, 9 months ago

Manual scavengers' plea goes down drain

Deccan Chronicle  

Chennai: Call it hushing up of the whole issue or the indirect promotion of manual scavenging. More than 3,000 manual scavengers from various districts of Tamil Nadu are waiting in hope to sign up the self-declaration forms and receive government’s lumpsum dole of Rs 40,000 and a monthly pension of Rs 7,000, in return for their pledge, said Samuel Velanganni, …

Will the Scourge of Manual Scavenging Ever End?
9 years, 1 month ago

Will the Scourge of Manual Scavenging Ever End?

The Quint  

Safai Karamchari Andolan has been conducting a countrywide campaign for the eradication of manual scavenging. Now, this campaign has been extended to cover the issues of sewerage workers, who are all casual labourers, and are forced to clean manholes and blocked drains without any protective gear. In a significant endorsement of concerns raised by the Safai Karmachari Andolan, the Supreme …

Supreme Court orders States to abolish manual scavenging
11 years ago

Supreme Court orders States to abolish manual scavenging

The Hindu  

Deprecating the practice of manually removing night soil with bare hands, brooms or metal scrappers, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed all the States to abolish manual scavenging and take steps for rehabilitation of such workers. A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N.V. Ramana, while disposing of a writ petition filed by the …

Stringent anti-manual scavenging Bill passed
11 years, 6 months ago

Stringent anti-manual scavenging Bill passed

The Hindu  

A Bill seeking to prohibit employment of individuals as manual scavengers by prescribing stringent punishment, including imprisonment up to five years, was passed by Parliament on Saturday. The Bill, which received a strong push from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and seeks to wipe out the “social stigma” by arranging for alternative jobs and offering other provisions to those in such …

SC upset at delay in passing manual scavenging Bill
12 years, 2 months ago

SC upset at delay in passing manual scavenging Bill

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed serious concern at the inordinate delay in Parliament passing the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill. The committee would expedite the proceedings.” He assured the court that within three months he would also review the Bill and make adequate changes like widening the scope of definition of “Manual Scavenger.” Mr. …

Burying democracy in human waste
12 years, 2 months ago

Burying democracy in human waste

The Hindu  

The >Supreme Court had recently admonished a District Magistrate for filing a >“wrong” affidavit stating that there was no manual scavenging in his district. A scene is of a small girl in a blue frock, and with liquid eyes — what in Tamil we would call “ Neerottam.” She answers the questions about her experience in school. What do you …

SC pulls up DM for false affidavit on scavenging
12 years, 3 months ago

SC pulls up DM for false affidavit on scavenging

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Haridwar district magistrate for filing an “incorrect” affidavit that there is no manual scavenging in the temple town but spared him of contempt of court. A Bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and Madan B. Lokur also drew the attention of the officer to reports of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, apologising …

Cabinet has cleared Bill on manual scavenging, court told
12 years, 7 months ago

Cabinet has cleared Bill on manual scavenging, court told

The Hindu  

The Union government on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Cabinet had cleared the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012. The court wanted Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval to take instructions and inform it by today whether the Bill would be introduced in this session of Parliament. At the last hearing, the court drew …

Centre fooling people on ending manual scavenging, says Justice Prasad
12 years, 7 months ago

Centre fooling people on ending manual scavenging, says Justice Prasad

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Centre for its callousness in not enacting a law to ban manual scavenging despite giving repeated assurances that it would soon amend the relevant Act. When the Bench asked whether the Bill would be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session, Mr. Raval said, “In all likelihood, it would be introduced but I …

Manual scavenging and a case for human dignity
19 years, 9 months ago

Manual scavenging and a case for human dignity

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court’s intervention raises the hopes of lakhs of Dalit families seeking enforcement of the Act designed to eradicate manual scavenging and rehabilitation of people doing the work. In appearance, the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines Act, 1993, had everything to put the government’s effort in a favourable light. They urged the Supreme Court to …

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