Manual scavenging is a blot on society
2 years, 8 months ago

Manual scavenging is a blot on society

Hindustan Times  

The appalling spectacle of human beings dying inside sewer lines was repeated on the outskirts of the national Capital after four people died in the Samaypur Badli area on Tuesday evening. The victims – private contractor Suraj Sahni, labourers Bachhu Singh and Pintu Raut, and e-rickshaw driver Satish Kumar, who jumped into the manhole to try and save the others – could only be pulled out after 10 hours because the manhole opening was narrow. In a raft of replies in Parliament, the government has repeatedly said zero deaths were reported for manual scavenging, but conceded that 321 people died while cleaning drains and sewers in the last five years. All deaths in sewers must be acknowledged as a failure of the 2013 law, and adequate action must be instituted against authorities and contractors who flout safety norms.

Manual Scavenging  safety  law  national  deaths  mission  society  manhole  blot  gaps  scavenging  sewers  manual

History of this topic

453 died while cleaning sewers since 2014, says Centre
4 months, 2 weeks ago

453 died while cleaning sewers since 2014, says Centre

Hindustan Times  

The Union Social Justice and Empowerment ministry on Tuesday said around 453 people have died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks since 2014 despite 732 out of India's 766 districts declaring themselves free from manual scavenging. Union Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said states have made significant strives in improving their mechanisation capabilities by …

443 died cleaning sewers, tanks in over 5 years: Govt
1 year ago

443 died cleaning sewers, tanks in over 5 years: Govt

Hindustan Times  

More than 400 people have died while cleaning septic tanks and sewers in the country since 2018, the ministry of social justice and empowerment said on Tuesday. In a written response to a question by Trinamool Congress member Aparupa Poddar, minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale told the Lok Sabha that 443 people died while cleaning …

SC orders govt to pay ₹30 lakh to families of those who die cleaning sewer
1 year, 2 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 …

In 7 days, over 100 districts report themselves to be manual scavenging-free
1 year, 4 months ago

In 7 days, over 100 districts report themselves to be manual scavenging-free

The Hindu  

More than 100 districts across the country reported themselves to be free of manual scavenging in a period of seven days even as the Union government has said it is vigorously pursuing districts that have not yet done so to complete the procedure. Districts declaring themselves free of manual scavenging are doing so by determining the existence of insanitary latrines …

Manual scavenging witnessed in Coimbatore a day after Union Social Justice Ministry said all Tamil Nadu districts free from the practice
1 year, 4 months ago

Manual scavenging witnessed in Coimbatore a day after Union Social Justice Ministry said all Tamil Nadu districts free from the practice

The Hindu  

A day after the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that 530 out of 766 districts in the country have reported themselves as free of manual scavenging, including all the districts in Tamil Nadu, workers were found engaged in manual scavenging in Coimbatore on Thursday. “It was painful to see the man standing inside the clogged manhole and clearing …

Problem of manual scavenging eliminated, claims Union Social Justice Ministry panel
1 year, 5 months ago

Problem of manual scavenging eliminated, claims Union Social Justice Ministry panel

The Hindu  

Despite noting that just 520 districts across the country had declared themselves free of manual scavenging, the Central Monitoring Committee of the Social Justice Ministry concluded in its eighth meeting on July 5, 2023 that all unsanitary latrines had been made sanitary under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and that the problem of manual scavenging is eliminated. A month ago, the …

Manual Scavenging: Madhya Pradesh High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognizance After Recent Death Of 2 Contract Workers Inside Sewer Hole
1 year, 5 months ago

Manual Scavenging: Madhya Pradesh High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognizance After Recent Death Of 2 Contract Workers Inside Sewer Hole

Live Law  

Observing that it is unfortunate that the persons employed to do the work in a sewer hole lost their lives, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the continuing manual scavenging in the state after the recent death of two workers in Gwalior. While issuing notice to the State, the bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath …

Only 66% districts in country free of manual scavenging: Social Justice Ministry report
1 year, 6 months ago

Only 66% districts in country free of manual scavenging: Social Justice Ministry report

The Hindu  

Despite stating over the last few years that manual scavenging had been eliminated in the country, and that the only remaining threat was hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has now said that only 508 districts out of the total 766 districts in the country have declared themselves manual-scavenging free. The …

Despite ban, Gujarat continues to witness deaths of manual scavengers
1 year, 7 months ago

Despite ban, Gujarat continues to witness deaths of manual scavengers

The Hindu  

From March 22 to April 26, 2023, as many as eight people have died while cleaning sewers in various parts of the Gujarat, raising concerns about the continuing deaths of manual scavengers despite the fact that the practice has been declared illegal across the country. Watch | Manual scavenging: India’s continuing shame In Gujarat, as per the figures shared by …

Poverty, caste-discrimination at the root of manual scavenging, reveals study
1 year, 11 months ago

Poverty, caste-discrimination at the root of manual scavenging, reveals study

The Hindu  

They know it is a inhuman and demeaning job rooted in caste-based discrimination and passed on to successive generations, but the sanitary workers continue to undertake manual scavenging as employers exploit them, and at times are cruel as well. These are some of the facts known from the interviews taken among the sanitary workers in the State for a study …

‘We need both: Gandhi and Ambedkar’, says Bezwada Wilson, who crusades against manual scavenging
2 years, 2 months ago

‘We need both: Gandhi and Ambedkar’, says Bezwada Wilson, who crusades against manual scavenging

The Hindu  

Bezwada Wilson, 56, born in Kolar to manual scavenger parents, has dedicated his life to the cause of eradicating the demeaning practice in India. In this interview, the Ramon Magsaysay awardee talks about caste, patriarchy and manual scavenging, elaborating his relationship to both Gandhi and Ambedkar. Building toilets without supplying sufficient water or proper drainage, converting manual scavenging into ‘sanitation …

Guidelines on manual scavenging violated more than being followed: Allahabad HC
2 years, 3 months ago

Guidelines on manual scavenging violated more than being followed: Allahabad HC

The Hindu  

Coming down heavily on civic authorities in Uttar Pradesh while hearing a suo motu PIL regarding manual scavenging, the Allahabad High Court observed, “The guidelines are being violated more than being followed.” The court had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report published on May 24, which said the city's drains were being cleaned by sanitation workers - deployed …

Data | Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu recorded most sewer-cleaning related deaths in last six years
2 years, 3 months ago

Data | Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu recorded most sewer-cleaning related deaths in last six years

The Hindu  

An answer in the Lok Sabha, quoting surveys conducted by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry in 2013 and 2018, mentioned that there are over 58,000 people engaged in manual scavenging in India. While a rehabilitation scheme has provided the workers with a one-time compensation, the capital subsidy has had few takers Sewer deaths The map depicts the State-wise number …

Murder in the sewer: on deaths during manual cleaning of sewage
2 years, 3 months ago

Murder in the sewer: on deaths during manual cleaning of sewage

The Hindu  

All human lives are precious, but, in practice, some are seen as less precious than others. But, more importantly, it specifies a long list of protective devices and gear that any person engaged to clean a sewer or a septic tank must be provided, including air line breathing apparatus, air line respirator, air purifier gas mask, a device for artificial …

Government to enumerate people who clean sewers
2 years, 4 months ago

Government to enumerate people who clean sewers

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is now preparing to undertake a nationwide survey to enumerate all people engaged in hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, an activity that has led to at least 351 deaths since 2017. Ministry officials said that the enumeration exercise, soon to be conducted across 500 AMRUT cities, is part of the Union …

Centre to Lok Sabha: No deaths reported due to manual scavenging
2 years, 4 months ago

Centre to Lok Sabha: No deaths reported due to manual scavenging

Hindustan Times  

No deaths have been reported due to manual scavenging and there are no reports of people engaged in manual scavenging in the country, the Centre informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. “There is no report of people currently engaged in manual scavenging as defined under Section 2 of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 ”. …

347 people died while cleaning sewers, septic tanks in last 5 years: Centre
2 years, 5 months ago

347 people died while cleaning sewers, septic tanks in last 5 years: Centre

The Hindu  

As many as 347 people have died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in India in the last five years, with Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi accounting for 40% of these fatalities, according to government data. According to the data presented in Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore, 47 workers died while …

Manual Scavenging | "Tragic Accidents In Sewers & Septic Tanks Have Come Down Significantly Due To Govt Initiatives": Centre To Delhi High Court
2 years, 5 months ago

Manual Scavenging | "Tragic Accidents In Sewers & Septic Tanks Have Come Down Significantly Due To Govt Initiatives": Centre To Delhi High Court

Live Law  

The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that due to various initiatives brought in by the Government, the number of tragic accidents while cleaning sewers and septic tanks have come down significantly. The short affidavit has been filed by the Central Government through its Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in a PIL filed in 2019 by Advocate Amit …

The IIT-Madras invention that could put an end to manual scavenging in India
2 years, 5 months ago

The IIT-Madras invention that could put an end to manual scavenging in India

Firstpost  

An IIT-Madras start-up has developed a robotic machine to clean septic tanks and hopes to end the dehumanising pratice of manual scavenging in India. Around 10 units have been distributed in Tamil Nadu, which reported the highest number of deaths of workers cleaning sewers over the last three years The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has developed a robot with …

Manual scavenging continues in different forms in Adilabad
2 years, 8 months ago

Manual scavenging continues in different forms in Adilabad

Deccan Chronicle  

ADILABAD: The banned manual scavenging is continuing in the municipalities in the erstwhile Adilabad district despite the governmental claims to stop this practice. The sanitation workers may not clean the wet toilets but they clean the drainages into which shit flows in various ways. “In practice, the sanitation workers of the municipality clean the drainages in which the human excreta …

161 die cleaning sewers in three years: How is this different from manual scavenging?
2 years, 8 months ago

161 die cleaning sewers in three years: How is this different from manual scavenging?

Firstpost  

The government on Wednesday said that there were no deaths recorded due to manual scavenging in India. However, a total of 161 people died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last three years The government on Wednesday said that there were no deaths recorded due to manual scavenging in India. As per the Act, the term manual scavenger …

971 people died while cleaning sewers since 1993
2 years, 8 months ago

971 people died while cleaning sewers since 1993

The Hindu  

A total of 971 people lost their lives while cleaning sewers or septic tanks since 1993, the year law prohibiting employment of manual scavengers was enacted, according to the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry on Wednesday. Replying to a question by BJP’s Syed Zafar Islam in the Rajya Sabha, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister of State Ramdas Athawale’s written response …

Four bodies recovered day after manhole mishap in outer Delhi
2 years, 8 months ago

Four bodies recovered day after manhole mishap in outer Delhi

Hindustan Times  

NEW DELHI: Bodies of four people who died inside a sewer in outer Delhi’s Samaypur Badli area on Tuesday evening were taken out early on Wednesday after a 10-hour-long joint operation by the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and the National Disaster Response Force, officials said. The victims were identified as Suraj Sahni, a private contractor who had undertaken the …

No Person Currently Engaged in Manual Scavenging, 158 Died Cleaning Septic Tanks in 3 Yrs: Govt
3 years ago

No Person Currently Engaged in Manual Scavenging, 158 Died Cleaning Septic Tanks in 3 Yrs: Govt

News 18  

No person is currently engaged in manual scavenging but 158 persons have died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks in the last three years, the government said on Tuesday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said there have been no reports regarding death of persons due to manual …

Karnataka HC tells govt to ensure strict adherence to rules on manual scavenging
3 years, 3 months ago

Karnataka HC tells govt to ensure strict adherence to rules on manual scavenging

Hindustan Times  

Karnataka high court on Monday asked the state government to ensure strict compliance of rules with regard to manual scavenging. A division bench of acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum said that the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and the rules must be followed in such cases. “The persons …

No manual scavenging deaths, 941 died while cleaning sewers: Govt
3 years, 4 months ago

No manual scavenging deaths, 941 died while cleaning sewers: Govt

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: No one succumbed to manual scavenging in India but 941 workers died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last three decades, the government told Parliament on Wednesday, triggering condemnation from activists. However, we have reports regarding deaths of workers while being engaged in cleaning of sewers or septic tanks,” he said, listing out 941 deaths since …

Centre Says No Death Reported Due to Manual Scavenging, Activists Decry Govt Response
3 years, 4 months ago

Centre Says No Death Reported Due to Manual Scavenging, Activists Decry Govt Response

News 18  

No death has been reported due to manual scavenging, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has told Parliament, drawing sharp reaction from activists who said that those people were being robbed of dignity even in their deaths. However, on how many deaths of manual scavengers have been recorded, he replied, “No such deaths have been reported due to manual …

Law Students' Plea Seeking Implementation Of Manual Scavengers Act: Allahabad High Court Seeks UP Govt's Response
3 years, 8 months 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 …

Madras HC to Initiate Criminal Proceedings Against Civic Chiefs over Manual Scavenging Deaths
3 years, 9 months ago

Madras HC to Initiate Criminal Proceedings Against Civic Chiefs over Manual Scavenging Deaths

News 18  

Manual scavenging continues to haunt Tamil Nadu. The first bench of the Madras high court represented by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamurthy ruled that criminal proceedings will be initiated against the civic body chiefs like municipal commissioner or corporation commissioner if people die due to manual scavenging. It is really painful to hear that 6 people have …

Govt Failed to Implement Manual Scavenging Act of 2013, Says Rahul Gandhi on Deaths of Over 380 People
3 years, 9 months ago

Govt Failed to Implement Manual Scavenging Act of 2013, Says Rahul Gandhi on Deaths of Over 380 People

News 18  

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government over deaths of 389 people in the country while manually cleaning sewers from 2015 to 2019 and alleged that it had "failed" to implement the Manual Scavenging Act. Gandhi's criticism of the government came after the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha that 389 people died in the …

Karnataka sweeper ends life after being forced to clean sewage: Why manual scavenging persists in 21st Century India
3 years, 9 months ago

Karnataka sweeper ends life after being forced to clean sewage: Why manual scavenging persists in 21st Century India

Firstpost  

While official figures estimate total 774 deaths between 1993 and March 2019, SKA estimates that nearly 2,000 manual scavengers die every year in the sewers, due to exposure to poisonous gases With one legislation outlawing manual scavenging eight years ago and another in the pipeline, one would think that the inhuman practice having its roots in India’s feudal past was …

Data | Uttar Pradesh records highest number of sewer cleaning-related deaths in last five years
3 years, 10 months ago

Data | Uttar Pradesh records highest number of sewer cleaning-related deaths in last five years

The Hindu  

Despite being outlawed, the dehumanising work of manual scavenging persists in India and has claimed the lives of 340 workers in the last five years, according to the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry. As of January 2020, most of the identified manual scavengers worked in Uttar Pradesh, which also reported the most sewer cleaning deaths in the last five years. …

Govt. to introduce bill to make law banning manual scavenging more stringent
4 years, 3 months ago

Govt. to introduce bill to make law banning manual scavenging more stringent

The Hindu  

The government plans to make the law banning manual scavenging more stringent by introducing a bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin from Monday. The Bill proposes to make the law banning manual scavenging more stringent by increasing the imprisonment term and the fine amount, the officials said. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers …

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