Manual Scavenging – Reasons & Solutions – Explained Pointwise

Throughout history, the society has undergone profound changes in power dynamics and political ideals that have transformed individual lives as well as the idea of the collective. But the modernizing forces have been biased against the marginalized sections including Dalits. This is testified by the continued existence of manual scavenging despite the same being prohibited by a Statutory Act and Supreme Court order. The practice is mainly carried on by the alleged lower caste people in India and creates numerous hardships for them. Keeping this in mind, a plethora of steps are desired to make India completely free from manual scavenging. 

What is the meaning of manual scavenging?

• It is defined as ‘the removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters and sewers’.
• Manual scavengers usually use hand tools such as buckets, brooms and shovels. The workers have to move the excreta, using brooms and tin plates, into baskets, which they carry to disposal locations sometimes several kilometers away.
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) distinguishes three forms of manual scavenging: (a) Removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, (b) Cleaning septic tanks, and (c) Cleaning gutters and sewers.

What is the extent of manual scavenging in India?

• Although the practice was banned under the Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers Act, 2013, the inhumane exercise continues.
• According to the Government:
  • >57,000 workers were engaged in hazardous cleaning nationwide but only 16,791 PPE kits were supplied.
  • Less than 14,000 had received health cards & only 837 safety workshops had been conducted in 4,800 ULBs.
  • 97% of manual scavengers are Dalits. The breakdown of numbers reveals that 42,594 manual scavengers belong to Scheduled Castes, 421 belong to Scheduled Tribes and 431 belong to Other Backward Classes. However the number may be grossly underreported.
• The Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011 had identified 180,657 manual scavengers (does not include urban India) with highest number of them in rural Maharashtra.
• The Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) estimates the number of manual scavengers to be around 1.2 million.

What is the need to eliminate manual scavenging?

1. Dehumanizing Activity: Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees ‘Right to Life’ with dignity. The practice of manual scavenging lowers an individual’s self esteem in society and is considered as a dehumanizing activity.
2. Emboldens the concept of purity & pollution: Caste structure continues to reinforce inequality as a basic value based on the concept of purity and pollution. The allocation of labor is one of its prime manifestations. As per the notion, the alleged lower class must engage in inhuman occupations like manual scavenging.
3. Social Stigma and Exclusion: Those engaged in manual scavenging face extreme social stigma, untouchability, and ostracization. This affects not only the workers but also their families, impacting their access to education, housing, and other basic necessities, trapping them in intergenerational poverty and marginalization.
4. Severe Health Hazards and Fatalities:
   • Exposure to Toxic Gases: Workers are exposed to highly toxic and noxious gases like hydrogen sulfide (H2​S), methane (CH4​), carbon monoxide ($CO$), and sulfur dioxide (SO2​) in confined spaces like sewers. These gases can cause immediate asphyxiation, unconsciousness, and death.
   • Pathogen Exposure: Direct contact with human waste exposes them to a multitude of dangerous pathogens, bacteria, viruses, and parasites, leading to severe infections, skin diseases, respiratory illnesses, eye infections, gastrointestinal disorders, and long-term chronic health issues.
   • Lack of Safety Gear: Most manual scavengers work without proper protective gear, further exacerbating their vulnerability to these hazards. Fatalities due to asphyxiation or poisoning in sewers are tragically common. According to the Safai Karamchari Andolan, at least 472 people have died cleaning human excreta during the last five years.
5. International Commitments: India is party to UN declaration on Human rights, Occupational Safety and Health Convention etc., which prohibit continuance of practices like manual scavenging.

What steps have been taken towards elimination of manual scavenging?

1. Prohibition of the Employment of Manual Scavengers Act 2013: The law intends to eliminate insanitary latrines and prohibits employment as manual scavengers. It also prohibits hazardous manual cleaning of sewer and septic tanks.
2. Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act, 1989: It became an integrated guard for sanitation workers as more than 90% people employed as manual scavengers belonged to the Scheduled Caste. This became an important landmark to free manual scavengers from designated traditional occupations.
3. Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS): The scheme launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment aims to rehabilitate manual scavengers and their dependents in alternative occupations, in a time bound manner.
4. National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme: Launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) the scheme aims to eradicate manual scavenging and promote mechanized cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of sanitation workers.
5. Supreme Court order, 2014: It made it mandatory for the Government to identify all those who died in sewage work since 1993 and provide Rs. 10 lakh each as compensation to their families.
6. National Commission for Safai Karmacharis (NCSK): It is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act 1993. The main aim of the commission is to promote and safeguard the rights of the Safai Karamcharis.
7. National Safai Karamchari Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC): It is building capacity at the local government level, providing mechanized desludging trucks and financial assistance to sanitation workers.
8. Swachh Bharat Mission: It led to the construction of toilets with on-site sanitation systems like septic tanks and pits.
9. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): It has led to the development of infrastructure such as sewerage networks, sewerage treatment plants across 500 cities.

Why is the practice still prevalent?

1. Government Apathy: Both the Central and State Governments are notorious for hiding the problem. Many contradictions are found in government data itself. In a reply to a question in Parliament, the government said that there is no report of people currently engaged in manual scavenging and no death has been reported due to the practice in five years. However, in a reply to another question, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment recognised 66,692 manual scavengers.
2. Social Prejudice: Even when manual scavengers get an education and a degree, the burden of caste is heavy. Ambedkar had observed that “in India, a man is not a scavenger because of his work. He is a scavenger because of his birth irrespective of the question whether he does scavenging or not”.
3. Misrepresentation using Contractors: According to some well-researched media reports, the Indian Railways, the army, and urban municipalities remain the biggest bodies that still have workers engaged in manual scavenging. They either find ways to outsource such work to contractors so as not to be held directly accountable or liable or simply misrepresent such workers as ‘sweepers’.
4. Half hearted Rehabilitation: The Government scheme provides for one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000, skill development training, and capital subsidy for self-employed projects. But the lack of a reliable database makes these efforts futile.
5. Poor implementation of laws:  There have been next to no serious legal proceedings against people and organisations accused of engaging workers for manual scavenging.
6. Existence of insanitary latrines: According to the 2011 Census, there are more than 26 Lakh insanitary latrines in the country. The existence of insanitary latrines creates a demand for manual scavenging and keeps sustaining the practice.

What should be the way forward?

1. Strict Implementation of Existing Laws: The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, must be strictly enforced. This includes prosecuting those who employ manual scavengers, not just the workers themselves.
2. Identification and Survey: Conduct regular, comprehensive, and accurate surveys to identify all individuals currently engaged in or vulnerable to manual scavenging.
3. Accountability of Municipalities and Contractors: Hold urban local bodies, government departments, and private contractors directly accountable for employing manual scavengers or for conditions that necessitate manual scavenging. Penalties should be severe enough to act as a deterrent.
4. Mandatory Mechanization: Make it mandatory for all sanitation work, especially sewer and septic tank cleaning, to be mechanized. This includes procuring and deploying sufficient numbers of modern suction and jetting machines, robotic cleaners, and other appropriate technologies.
5. Financial Assistance and Skill Development: Provide adequate financial assistance for immediate relief and offer skill development training programs (e.g., driving, plumbing, electrical work, computer skills, tailoring) that enable those engaged in manual scavenging to transition to dignified alternative livelihoods.
6. Technological solutions: The government should look for technological solutions to reduce the prevalence of manual scavenging e.g. a bandicoot robot can be used. It goes inside the manhole and mimics all the actions of a human scavenger. Tamil Nadu has launched a pilot project that includes sewer robots to clean over 5000 manholes.
7. Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch sustained, high-impact public awareness campaigns to sensitize society about the inhumane nature of manual scavenging and its link to caste discrimination. These campaigns should challenge prejudices and promote dignity of labor. Collaboration with public spirited individuals like Bezwada Wilson and organizations like Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) is desired. It would help in better formulation and implementation of policies for the manual scavengers. Their strength can also be leveraged for bringing an attitudinal change in society.

Conclusion:
Manual scavenging is regarded as inhuman and a violation of the basic human rights. This practice is prevalent and needs collaborative efforts of government, civil society and every individual to end it.