Eradicating manual scavenging requires multi-pronged strategy, a nationwide campaign

Kaushal Khatri*
Manual scavenging, the practice of manually cleaning and removing human excreta from dry latrines and sewers, has been an unfortunate reality in India for centuries. This dehumanizing practice persists despite being outlawed in 1993 under the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act.
The majority of manual scavengers are Dalits, who occupy the lowest rung of India's caste hierarchy. They are compelled by their economic and social status to take up this hazardous and degrading occupation. Estimates suggest there are still hundreds of thousands of manual scavengers across the country, over 90% of whom are Dalit women.
The persistence of manual scavenging is a testament to the deep-rooted caste discrimination in Indian society. Caste determines social status and limits access to resources, education, and employment opportunities. Dalits have been forced into menial occupations like manual scavenging due to systemic oppression over centuries. Many manual scavenging jobs are passed down through generations, trapping entire families in this cycle of poverty and indignity.
Manual scavengers have to physically enter sewers and septic tanks to clear blockages and clean excreta using rudimentary tools and often without protective gear. This exposes them to harmful gases, human waste, injuries from broken glass and needles, and a constant risk of asphyxiation. A shocking 500-600 manual scavengers reportedly die every year from suffocation while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
Despite the efforts of activists and nonprofit organizations, manual scavenging continues due to administrative apathy and a lack of rehabilitation for scavengers. The 1993 Act prohibited the employment of manual scavengers by prescribing penalties for violation. However, the law has failed to eradicate the practice as many scavengers are unaware of their rights or afraid to lose their livelihood.
State governments have been slow to identify and rehabilitate manual scavengers. The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers launched in 2007, aims to provide alternative livelihoods through skill development and financial assistance. However, a 2011 government survey found over 26,000 manual scavengers across India had not received any assistance.
In 2013, the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act was passed to reinforce the previous law and expand rehabilitation measures. State governments are required to survey and identify manual scavengers for providing skill training, financial aid, and public employment. However, the implementation has been inadequate.
In 2017, a landmark judgement by the Supreme Court directed states to fully implement welfare measures and take proactive steps to eliminate manual scavenging. The court criticized government authorities' indifferent attitude and failure to stop manual scavenging. Nonetheless, ending this abhorrent practice requires a collaborative effort between multiple stakeholders at all levels.
Eradicating manual scavenging requires a multi-pronged strategy -- a nationwide awareness campaign to make people aware of the inhumanity of this practice and the rights of scavengers; strict enforcement of existing laws and monitoring of sewage treatment systems to employ only mechanical cleaning; and, most importantly, providing alternate dignified employment for scavengers through coaching, vocational training, easy loans, and subsidies.
The Covid-19 pandemic has magnified the risks associated with manual scavenging. States must ensure proper protective equipment for scavengers handling medical and hazardous waste and rehabilitate them on priority. Dalit rights organizations have a major role to play in organizing, empowering, and demanding justice for scavengers.
Ending manual scavenging for good requires laws and government programs, and a radical social transformation. The caste system that deems fellow humans "untouchable" based on their birth has no place in a modern democracy. India cannot become a global power clinging to primitive and brutal customs like manual scavenging. As a society, we need to introspect and recognize that manual scavengers' human rights and dignity matter. It is imperative that we break the cycle by expanding access to education, resources, and opportunities. Only then can we build a just, equitable, and inclusive society.
---
*Student of IIM Ahmedabad

Comments

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar* Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman* On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan* (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.

This book delves deep into Maoism's historical, social, and political dimensions in India

By Harsh Thakor* "Storming the Gates of Heaven" by Amit Bhattacharya is a comprehensive study of the Indian Maoist movement. Bhattacharya examines the movement's evolution, drawing from numerous sources and showcasing his unwavering support for Charu Mazumdar's path and practice. The book, published in 2016, delves deeply into the movement's historical, social, and political dimensions.

Ideological assault on dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti will disturb pluralistic legacy: Modi told

Counterview Desk Letter to the Prime Minister about "a matter of the utmost concern affecting our country's social fabric": *** We are a group of independent citizens who over the past few years have made efforts to improve the deteriorating communal relations in the country. It is abundantly clear that over the last decade relations between communities, particularly Hindus and Muslims, and to an extent Christians are extremely strained leaving these latter two communities in extreme anxiety and insecurity.

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

Search This Blog