CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

There are many facets to life, such as equality, freedom, and dignity. Every person has the
right and desire to live his or her life honourably and fully. Even though India is the world's
largest democracy and has been independent for a long time, thousands of people are still
killed while purging India. This is an example of irony. On the one hand, the Supreme Court
recognized and upheld sanitation as a fundamental right. However, the right to sanitization is
not universally recognized. Although the practice of manually collecting and cleaning
wastewater has been deemed false by the courts on occasion, a large number of people
continue to practice it, and they continue to suffer the negative consequences of this unethical
practice. Even after the court condemned them, these practices persisted. The majority of
state governments have denied claims that deaths from manual cleaning and sewer accidents
are more common than previously thought, but the death toll continues to rise. The goal of
this research is to examine the factors that promote manual hygiene and how the traditional
definition of manual hygiene has been expanded to include the majority of sanitation
practices. Despite all of the progress, infanticide remains a stain on the right to sanitation.

The work delves into both the concept and the manual restoration process. "Cleanliness is
next to trust," as the saying goes. If cleanliness is a measure of divinity, it should come as no
surprise that clean people are divine. This has never happened to India's manual trash
collectors. Cleaning was the responsibility of the lower classes even in ancient writings such
as the Vedas. These people are despised by society because they come from a lower social
class. They are regarded as social outcasts. They've also never been seen with people of
higher social classes. Scavengers must complete all of their daily tasks in separate locations.
The privileged have brutally marginalized them in all aspects of social, political, and
economic life. They are forced to transport trash in exchange for a pittance that satisfies their
hunger. As a result, they were never given the opportunity to further their education in order
to escape their circumstances. Because they are uneducated, the children of these scavengers
are forced to follow in their parents' footsteps. This has created a vicious circle for them.
Manual cleaning is ultimately relevant for the lower floors due to its enduring popularity over
generations.

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As a result, manual cleaning consists of only cleaning the dry latrine and carrying garbage to
the top. As a direct result of technological advancements, new types of toilets and waste
disposal techniques have emerged in the modern era. Furthermore, it necessitates the use of
manual cleaning or other cleaning techniques in confined spaces, putting the safety and health
of those doing the cleaning at risk. As a result, carrying human waste around on one's head is
no longer the only potentially hazardous cleaning that involves exposing people to sewage.
Only the first was mentioned previously. One argument for fewer manual scavengers is that
they spend less time cleaning up this type of wastewater by hand because they use tools or
machines. How can such behavior be tolerated? They both have the same responsibilities.
Their use of machinery does not elevate the status of their profession. Furthermore, it makes
their jobs no safer because defective equipment is the leading cause of worker fatalities. As a
result, in the modern world, manual dumping cannot and should never be confused with
manual cleaning of human waste. In this newly industrialized and modernized world,
cleaning various types of infrastructure with human assistance is referred to as "manual
cleaning." This category includes tasks such as cleaning manholes, drains, railroad tracks,
and pits.

Throughout recorded history, this community has faced numerous insurmountable

challenges. They are malnourished and marginalized as a result of their extreme poverty.
Numerous studies have linked this to a variety of serious illnesses as well as a shorter life
expectancy. These factors have a significant impact on people's health. If a man's job puts
him in danger of losing his life, his right to life is obviously violated. There are many
different types of untouchability that are prevalent as a result of their unfavorable
associations with their line of work. Untouchability is another concept associated with the
distant past. This cannot be true when people are performing potentially hazardous cleanup
and other people act in a way that distances them from them. Changing conditions and
changing time are inextricably linked. Homosexuality was historically considered to be
against the natural order of things and thus prohibited. They are now openly recognized as
citizens, and their rights are widely accepted. Now is the time to abandon the traditional
concept of manual scanning and embrace all cleaning techniques that require human
intervention and are potentially lethal.

In the second chapter, the right to sanitation and manual hygiene are examined from an
international and constitutional standpoint. In a number of legal documents, the international
community has emphasized the importance of the right to sanitation and has taken steps to

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protect this right by ensuring that hygiene standards are met. Some legal documents contain
these rules. Initially, none of the instruments emphasized the right to be sanitized. This is due
to the fact that there is none. In addition to the rights to water, health, a decent standard of
living, and physical security, sanitation has been addressed. In each of these tools, hygiene is
the last option. Individuals were able to take control of their own hygiene in the years that
followed as a result of significant advances in the defense of legitimate human rights. This is
one of the fundamental liberties required for exercising one's right to life. The right to life is
essential. Numerous actions relating to remedial activities have been taken to date. The
declaration of 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation was one of the actions taken to
raise awareness of and adoption of a variety of hygiene measures. It happened in 2008. The
international community has succinctly and clearly laid out the standards that every sanitation
facility must meet. Quality and quantity, for example, accessibility, affordability, and
acceptability

An examination of Indian health networks reveals that very few of them meet the
aforementioned criteria. Many of these requirements are frequently ignored, putting people's
lives in danger. These standards are frequently unknown to stakeholders. A sufficient number
of actions can be taken to meet these basic needs. The fact that India is not a signatory to all
of these international conventions makes their implementation difficult. In this case, the
relevant government agency must investigate any sanitary practices used in other countries to
dispose of human waste. We must make every effort to incorporate all improvements and
changes for the better into our systems. Although manual drain cleaning is still practiced, the
constitutional requirement of untouchability remains unmet. This violates numerous other
rights in addition to the previously mentioned fundamental rights. As a result, continuing
with manual cleaning is a clear violation of Indian Constitution Articles 21, 17, 23, and 14.
Such a situation is unacceptable, given that the Supreme Court has frequently expressed its
opinion and made recommendations regarding the elimination of manual sanitization.
Realizing everyone's right to a healthy and sanitary life is inextricably linked to the provision
of a comprehensive range of sanitation services. A few provisions in human rights treaties
may also play a significant role in the demise of this fading idea.

The third and fourth chapters of this book examine the legal and constitutional framework
governing sanitation and manual collection. Since the 1950s, there have been committees
formed to stop manual recalls and discussions about abolishing the practice. Manual cleaning,
on the other hand, is a dying profession and an untouchable form that has persisted to this

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day. The Scheduled Actors and Tribes (Atrocities Prevention) Act, passed in 1989, and the
Civil Rights Protection Act, passed in 1955, were the first laws to reduce manual cleaning.
The government passed the Garbage Collection and Dry Toilet Construction Workers
(Prohibition) Employment Act in 1993. However, the lack of legal action shows that the law
is flawed and that manual garbage collectors are not adequately protected. This was
demonstrated by the absence of legal action. It provides pitiful assistance to workers for
alternative occupations, which is usually ignored by manual garbage collectors, and does not
address health as a factor in reintegration. The law makes no mention of the death of manual
waste collectors or the payment of damages in such cases. In 2013, lawmakers passed the
Prohibition and Use of Manual Scavengers and their Recovery Act. Nonetheless, the law did
not function as intended because it did not apply to employees who were wearing protective
gear at the time. Workers are still frustrated because they must enter manholes and sewers
while using non-scientific or ineffective equipment, despite regulations mandating the use of
technological equipment for sewer cleaning. Despite the fact that the regulations emphasize
providing manual garbage collectors with protective equipment, they still face the same fine.
The equipment needed to carry out the plan is severely lacking. Because no law produced the
desired result, the protections of these people's constitutions were flagrantly violated.

SUGGESTIONS

1) The scavenger class's social exclusion and the vicious cycle of being trapped in the
profession despite years of resistance demonstrate that government rights in various forms do
not reach them, excluding them from social circumstances, economic normalcy, political
stability, and cultural normalcy that they would otherwise have access to. This is a form of
social exclusion and must be considered a crime, as well as a flagrant violation of their
fundamental rights and other civil rights. The only way to address this issue is to develop a
constructive program that provides affected individuals with alternative livelihood options as
well as effective rehabilitation. It is critical to identify specific areas that can be repaired, and
company leadership must act quickly to do so. They are qualified for specialized training that
will prepare them for careers in hand weaving, agriculture, and other fields. Participants are
expected to receive funding to start a small business immediately after completing the
training course. Steps must be taken to ensure free medical care for extended families,
including the elderly. Additional medical assistance is required to treat their illness. It cannot
be said that the right to sanitation has been fully realized until all of these difficult issues are
satisfactorily resolved.

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2) To completely eliminate all forms of injustice, two more critical steps must be taken:
education and public awareness. One step in this direction would be to ensure that the
children of identified and rehabilitated field workers have access to high-quality education.
To comprehend the term "education," a broader context is required. Raising public awareness
of perseverance and the difficulties faced by the cleaning industry is required for this.
Everyone's mental capacity should be expanded to the point where they understand how they,
like the rest of us, make other people happy. The importance of re-establishing this social
class must be recognized by the general public. Government-sponsored advertising has the
potential to be a powerful tool in this regard. In recent years, these types of advertisements
have become very popular for raising awareness of issues such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,
and other diseases. Similar commercials were produced for the Swatch Bharat Abhiyan
campaign. However, despite the fact that one of its goals is to eliminate manual cleaning, the
same advertisements make no mention of it. Manual cleaning should be mentioned in public
service announcements aimed at improving sanitation, especially since the modern definition
of manual cleaning now includes more cleaning tasks. This must be done in order to remove
the stigma attached to these groups of people. The right to sanitation is a myth as long as the
concept of picking up trash by hand exists.

3) All of the necessary components must work together to effectively eliminate manual
cleaning and provide rehabilitation for those affected. Coordination between public and
private organizations is also required. A coordinating committee must be formed, with
representatives from each ministry and reputable non-governmental organizations. They must
analyze the situation, develop action plans, and hold regular meetings. The Departments of
Women and Child Development and Labor play critical roles in this process because women
outnumber men in many regions when it comes to manual trash collection.

4) According to survey results and Ministry of Justice and Social Empowerment records, over
7,000 people perform manual garbage collection. Hiring personnel to clean septic tanks,
drains, and other comparable facilities received little consideration. These are typically
independent private companies that are unaffiliated with any government entity.
Consequently, despite a lack of data, sanitation worker fatalities are reported in government-
owned facilities, residential buildings, shopping centers, hotel apartments, and other types of
buildings. government in terms of fatalities This must be stopped immediately. It is critical to
take the necessary steps to collect data on how the drainage and sewage systems are
functioning.

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5) Furthermore, errors in high-grade infrastructure measurements are to blame for sewer
system deaths. Safety equipment malfunctions are common in hazardous environments such
as drains or manholes, and they frequently result in worker fatalities. It is unclear how to
distinguish between public and private responsibility at the institutional level. Because people
are concerned about septic tanks and sewage pits, the government limits its responsibilities in
maintaining sewer lines and drainage systems. Sanitation and wastewater treatment are
governed by environmental laws and municipal ordinances, but sludge cleaning is not. These
laws must be revised in order to make the necessary and required changes.

6) Entrepreneurs, businesses, corporations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),

research institutions, and all levels of government should focus on system cleaning. Septic
tanks and sewers that do not require human intervention The bandicoot robot, developed by
Genrobotics, is one of the most well-known developments in the field of mechanization. It is
a technological advancement from Kerala that has received widespread attention and has
been displayed throughout India. It should be noted, however, that only a small number of
robots have been used thus far. Robots should be used to automate dangerous cleaning tasks,
and the federal and state governments should take steps to increase the number of robots
available for these jobs. The mechanization process is only a temporary solution; the true
solution is to modernize toilet design. The model used in Western countries could serve as an
example of a model that does not require blanking. It is critical to investigate these
possibilities and come up with any solutions.

7) Despite improved sanitation facilities, manual cleaning is still done, indicating that
adequate sanitation has not yet been achieved. As a result of numerous studies by NGOs and
other NGOs, official government records do not mention the existence of a significant
number of hatcheries in the country. Furthermore, despite having assisted in the construction
of over 10 million toilets in both urban and rural areas, the Swachh Bharat Mission still has a
lot of room for growth. Septic tanks, biological toilets, sewage pits, and composting toilets
are among the options available to program participants. Simply put, we do not consider the
type of toilet that will be built. Despite efforts to develop biological toilets, the majority of
people continue to build toilets with septic tanks. These structures almost never have safety
designs or maintenance standards in place. A public awareness campaign should be launched
to highlight how the use of septic tanks can exacerbate the problem of manual unclogging. As
a result, despite the availability of sanitary facilities, this behavior persists. As a result, the
effectiveness of this plan will be reduced. As a result, high-risk sanitation projects have

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undermined this policy. Inadequate policies frequently result in problem-causing responses.
Compensation plans and other social initiatives fail because there are no beneficiaries. To put
an end to this problem, governments must first develop legislative solutions that are
specifically designed to address the issue of manual recalls.

8) Adequate sanitation measures must be put in place, primarily by local governments. Local
governments have demonstrated their independence in a variety of ways. Stricter regulations
are needed to ensure that no household builds a dry latrine or uses a cleaner. Manual cleaning
is required. Under the new law, only the employer has the authority to halt manual cleanups.
When this happens, it can be difficult to determine who is doing the manual cleaning. It is
illegal to build dry latrines or other structures where the system must be manually cleaned.
Such offenses necessitate harsh punishment. In order for life to continue on Earth, the need
for sanitary facilities, and more specifically the proper type of sanitation facility, must be
recognized on a global scale.

9) The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) of

2005 can be linked with other laws that prohibit all types of toxic cleaning processes. This
would allow people who have been pardoned under any of these other laws to
find work through MNREGA.