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Source: The post is based on the article “Data on Manual Scavenging” published in The Hindu on 22nd August 2022.
What is the News?
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment has provided data on Manual Scavenging while replying to a question in Lok Sabha.
What is Manual Scavenging?
People Engaged in Manual Scavenging: According to the surveys conducted by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry in 2013 and 2018, there are over 58,000 people engaged in manual scavenging in India.
– However, activists claim that this number remains an underestimate and that the practice is prevalent despite a 2013 law prohibiting such employment.
State wise Manual Scavenging data: More than 55% of the manual scavengers identified were from Uttar Pradesh.
Caste wise split of workers: Of all the manual scavengers identified, more than 40,000 workers belong to the Scheduled Castes while fewer than 1,000 belong to the Scheduled Tribes and OBCs combined.
Deaths due to Manual Scavenging: Around 347 workers died while or because of cleaning sewers and septic tanks between 2017 and 2022. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of these deaths.
Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers: The self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) is expected to provide one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000, skill development training and Capital subsidy for self-employment projects for workers.
– The government succeeded in providing cash assistance to the workers, especially in the last three years of the period considered. But the proportion of workers who received a capital subsidy of Rs 5 lakh as loans under the scheme was significantly low during this period.
