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Tata nexarc Government surveys are confined to statutory towns, highlighting the fact that the
Centre looks at it as an urban problem
By Subhomay Saha, (https://www.downtoearth.org.in/author/subhomay-saha-183091)
Vikas Upadhayay
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(https://www.downtoearth.org.in/author/vikas-upadhayay-183092)
Published: Monday 18 January 2021
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4/11/22, 12:47 PM The missing manual scavengers of India
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relevant for The practice of manual scavenging has accursed Indian society
your since time immemorial. The efforts to abolish this custom have
business.
Latest garnered momentum within the state machinery, advocacy groups Find tenders
and academia the last three decades, particularly since the relevant for your
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business. Latest
sectors. Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, launched last year, aims to & private
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Tata nexarc completely mechanise all septic and sewage tank cleaning
operations in 243 cities across India, by April 30, 2021.
Officially, the number of manual scavengers dropped to 42,303 in
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2018 from 770,338 in 2008. Notwithstanding the said
developments, the drastic reduction in the official count in the NEXT BLOG ❯
recent past can be construed as indicative of gross
underassessment rather than being reflective of their actual
numbers in India.
While the Indian government attributes this drop to the strict
enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual
Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and the impact of the
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. A
closer inspection of the problem reveals many shortcomings in the
implementation of the said act, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as well as
procedures adopted to arrive at the official figure of manual
scavengers.
The survey and its shortcomings
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4/11/22, 12:47 PM The missing manual scavengers of India
Of
the 87,913 manual scavengers identified by the survey, 42,303
were recognised by the ministry and only 27,268 have been
(https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=The missing manual scavengers of India
integrated into relevant schemes and have received any form of
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/water/the-missing-manual-scavengers-of-india-75104)
entitlements
or benefits from the ministry.
Register It (https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=The
is but obviously a grossly underreported survey,
missing given
manual the factof India
scavengers Register &
& start that the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011 identified 1,82,505
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/water/the-missing-manual-scavengers-of-india-75104) start 30-
Latest Notwithstanding the efforts of the government, the assumption relevant for your
tenders in
that the age-old practice of manual scavenging has seen a drop of business. Latest
govt. &
private tenders in govt.
by the SKA in 2011 and the NSKFDC Census, 2018) is irrational. sectors.
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The fact that this survey was confined to statutory towns in India is
reflective of the Central government’s attempt to willfully misjudge
manual scavenging as an urban problem.
Open
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The act and its implementation
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The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their
Rehabilitation Act, 2013 aims to eliminate insanitary latrines (those
not connected to pits/septic tanks/sewage lines) alongside
tracking the rehabilitation of manual scavengers in other
occupations and conducting periodic surveys.
To eliminate this practice, the act has provisions for stringent
penalties, for direct or indirect employment of any person in
hazardous cleaning of sewers or septic tanks by any person, local
authority or agency. For example, even the first instance of its
contravention is punishable with imprisonment up to two years or
fine up to Rs 2 lakh or both.
If a worker dies while performing such work, even with safety gear
and other precautions, the employer is required to pay
compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family.
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4/11/22, 12:47 PM The missing manual scavengers of India
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relevant for Despite such stringent provisions, hardly any action is visible on
your the ground — not a single FIR was filed in 2014, accordin to the
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govt. &
private Two cases under the law were reported from Karnataka in the tenders in govt.
sectors. National Crime Records Bureau report of 2015, where only one & private
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Tata nexarc went for trial. Karnataka has maintained its lead in its compliance
with the law by filing 55 FIRs. This clearly reveals a lack of empathy
on part of the state, bureaucracy and even society.
Open
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As per the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)
database, 608 manual scavengers have died between 2013 and NEXT BLOG ❯
2017 while cleaning septic tanks. However, many advocacy groups
have raised concern over the authenticity of this data, claiming that
the actual number would be much more.
NCSK reported 123 deaths during January-August 2017, whereas,
the SKA reported 429 deaths in the same duration in the National
Capital Region alone .
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4/11/22, 12:47 PM The missing manual scavengers of India
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been provided with the one-time cash assistance. day trial
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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan vs manual scavenging
Find tenders
relevant for Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, India claims to have constructed
your approximately 1,000 lakh toilets since 2014, thereby providing
business.
approximately 95 per cent households with access to toilets. Find tenders
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The
aforementioned survey in 2018 to estimate the number of
manual scavengers in India was conducted at the behest of the
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judgement passed by the Supreme Court in the matter of Safai
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Karamchari
Andolan and others versus the Union of India and
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sectors. More recently, the Bombay High Court in response to a PIL filed in & private
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Tata nexarc 2019, sought a response from the Maharashtra Government
regarding the number of convictions in cases related to the
employment of manual scavengers as well as the disbursement of
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compensations upon their death, doubting the tendency of
underreporting by the government.
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The state and society needs to take active interest in the issue and
look into all possible options to accurately assess and
subsequently eradicate this practice. It also warrants an
engagement of all stakeholders for the proper introduction of
mechanisation and ensuring that it is made available to all those
who are forced to engage in this undignified practice.
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect
those of Down To Earth
Toilet (https://www.downtoearth.org.in/tag/toilet)
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Brij Gopal: A tireless advocate for India’s
Open rivers (https://www.downtoearth.org
With his death, India has lost a great mind and a lot of us in the conservation arena,
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our mentor
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How does one write about a man one eulogised and has just heard
had dropped dead? Even while nearing 77, he suffered no ailment,
at least none that could bring such unexpected end.
He sometimes did have swollen legs. I remember asking him once
during a field trip to Pandwan, a geological site on the Ken riverbed,
as to why he was not wearing shoes. He had brushed aside the
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query.
30-day researching about the Yamuna river for a planned campaign and
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had been referred to him. He was perfectly aware that I was a
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relevant for Despite this, he welcomed me and readily shared copies of all his
your
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Find tenders
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I was soon back to him with a request to join an expert committee sectors.
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that the Delhi High Court had proposed in a litigation, challenging
the construction of Commonwealth Games village in the river bed
in which I was one of the applicants.
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He readily agreed. That the said committee never got going since
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the high court orders were challenged and overturned at the
Supreme Court is another story.
The absence of a statutory protection to river floodplains in the
country was proving to be a huge handicap for us. When informed,
Professor Gopal narrated how, way back in 2002, he had convinced
the Union environment ministry on the need of a River Regulation
Zone (RRZ) notification on the lines of Coastal Regulation Zone for
securing the river floodplains.
As is usual with governments, the RRZ plans got derailed with a
change of guard. Undaunted, we revived the effort and Jairam
Ramesh as environment minister promised the RRZ, before seeing
his portfolio changed. Even Prakash Javadekar started the process,
only to soon lose steam.
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your Waters in South Asia at a small village called Peera on the outskirts
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of official and court-constituted expert committees.
With a research experience of over 50 years, his vast scholarship
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penchant for calling a spade a spade could never endear him to the NEXT BLOG ❯
establishment.
India has lost a great mind and a lot of us in the conservation
arena, our mentor.
Manoj Misra is Convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily
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