Live
- Big e-commerce firms to adopt Safety Pledge on National Consumer Day
- Cop ends life over torture by wife, father-in-law in Bengaluru
- Indian Constitution longest and most beautiful, Kiren Rijiju lauds its inclusive character
- BSNL's Rs 333 Plan Challenges Airtel and Jio with 1300GB Data: Details
- PM Modi's appeal to buy Khadi garments leads to huge demand in Bihar's Samastipur
- Mohammad Amir announces retirement from international cricket
- Chandrababu supports One Nation, One Election System, says elections in 2029
- Cong not pursuing politics of vengeance: D. K. Shivakumar on Covid 'scam' FIR
- Mexican consulates to strengthen support for nationals in face of US deportation
- Minister Meghwal to table ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill in Lok Sabha on Monday
Menial job still thrives in India
Menial job still thrives in India. Not many of us clean our own toilets. The stench of toilets in public places puts us off. But there is another side to all of this. India still has people who are in the profession of Manual Scavenging.
86% of all manual scavengers in the country are in Uttar Pradesh
Government data indicates that the inhuman profession of manual scavenging still exists in the country and that there are more than 11000 such manual scavengers in the country. 86% of them are in Uttar Pradesh alone. There are 11 states which have manual scavengers even today. Despite the parliament enacting a legislation to prohibit manual scavenging, it goes on and the funds allocated for rehabilitation are hardly spen
Not many of us clean our own toilets. The stench of toilets in public places puts us off. But there is another side to all of this. India still has people who are in the profession of Manual Scavenging. It’s a national shame, but it is also a fact that there are still a few thousand people engaged in the same.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment defines a scavenger as the one who is partially or wholly engaged in the obnoxious and inhuman occupation of manually removing night soil and filth. To explain in simple terms, manual scavenging refers to the removal of human waste/excreta (night soil) from unsanitary, dry toilets (toilets without the modern flush system). Manual scavenging involves the removal of human excreta using bare hands, brooms and tin plates.
The reality is much more inhuman and beyond imagination. The people who are involved in cleaning the dry latrines do so with their bare hands and usually carry the human excreta on their head to dispose in far-off places. They are further ostracized, subjected to gross discrimination and have to go through everyday humiliation in society. Due to the nature of the work, they are also exposed to various health hazards. What is even more despicable is that this work is forced upon the future generations.
Dry Latrines
The presence of dry latrines is one of the primary reasons why manual scavenging exists till date despite being banned under the constitution via various legislations. As per the 2011 census data, there are a total of 7,94,390 dry latrines in the country with Uttar Pradesh having as high as 3,26,082 and Andaman islands as low as 11. Not all states have manual scavengers. As per the latest data available with the Government, there are a total of 11,635 manual scavengers across the country.
Leading the pack is Uttar Pradesh with 10016 manual scavengers. This is a whopping 86% of all manual scavengers in the country. There are 11 states where there are manual scavengers even today. These states are from all the parts of the country. The current laws had not proved adequate in eliminating the twin evils of insanitary latrines and manual scavenging. The Parliament has enacted the‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013’.
The law has come into force on Dec 6th 2013 in whole of country, except Jammu & Kashmir. The act intends to eliminate the insanitary latrines, prohibit employment as manual scavengers, and ban hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. Central Sector Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers is being implemented for rehabilitation of manual scavengers through the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation.
The tragedy is that the government is unable to spend the meager amounts allocated for the rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers. In 2014-15, 448 crore rupees was allocated and not a single rupee has been spent till the end of July 2014. Along with these programms, there is a great need for sensitisation and awareness to end this menace once and for all.
By Suresh Ediga
