The survey, tabled in Parliament on Thursday, noticed {that a} majority of sewer and septic tank employees (SSWs) belong to particular castes, together with Valmiki, Mehtar, Dom, Madiga, Mala and many others. and that they’ve traditionally confronted stigma and discrimination.
“Addressing such deep-set caste-primarily based stigma requires society-broad instructional and behavior change interventions to de-stigmatise and dismantle discriminatory practices in re-employment,” it underlined.
The survey acknowledged that civil society participation is important for the eradication of handbook scavenging and the sustained rehabilitation of employees.
To enhance outcomes, the survey means that city native our bodies (ULBs) must be held accountable by means of efficiency-linked incentives and penalties for non-compliance. These our bodies play a key position in figuring out SSWs and implementing schemes concentrating on SSWs.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, was enacted to rectify historic injustice and indignity suffered by individuals employed to scrub dry latrines and sewers. Whereas the Supreme Court docket has persistently ordered the eradication of the observe — just lately directing a ban in six main metropolitan cities — the survey famous that enforcement stay weak. The courtroom has additionally elevated compensation for the deaths of sanitation employees to ₹30 lakh.
Recognising that laws alongside can not erase caste-rooted injustices, the federal government has reinvigorated rehabilitation efforts by means of the Nationwide Motion for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme, launched in July 2023. Up to now, 89,104 sewer and septic tank employees have been validated and profiled for intervention.
The survey recommends utilizing the ‘Swaach Sarvekshan’ framework, which lined 4,589 city native our bodies (ULB) in FY25, to ascertain a rustic-broad baseline for SSWs and waste pickers. This may guarantee extra environment friendly allocation of assets and higher planning, it acknowledged.
To enhance security, the federal government has distributed 85,743 Private Protecting Tools (PPE) kits to states and Union Territories, and 653 security system kits for Emergency Response Sanitation Items. Capital subsidy has been launched to 779 employees and their dependents for sanitation-associated tasks, it stated.
The survey report drew parallels with superior nations, noting that native governments in Japan utilise AI-enabled mapping, robotic cleaners and suction programs, whereas the European Union (EU) has developed automated programs, equivalent to PipeGuard and PIPEON.
India has developed indigenous car-built-in machines and robotic cleaners. The survey known as for scaling up home manufacturing of those units whereas emphasising that ULBs must be mandated to amass them. It additionally inspired personal funding within the manufacturing, operation, and upkeep of such equipment.
Rehabilitation measures presently embody housing, healthcare, ability improvement and different employment alternatives. Over 70,000 employees are lined below Ayushman Bharat PM-Jan Arogya Yojana medical health insurance scheme. Apart from, the Nationwide Safai Karamcharis Finance and Improvement Company has supported over 6,600 beneficiaries with Rs 53.07 crore by means of varied initiatives, the survey acknowledged.
Additionally learn: Economic Survey 2026 pegs India’s FY27 progress at 6.8-7.2%, outlook stays optimistic
The survey underlined that the objective of Viksit Bharat encompasses constructing an inclusive society the place progress and improvement translate into equity, dignity and equal rights for all sections of society. This complete strategy, managed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, focuses on 4 key areas: social, financial, instructional and rehabilitative empowerment.
Source link
#Manual #scavenging #persists #legal #ban #Economic #Survey #CNBC #TV18
