Question : Sanitation Workers

(a) the number of sanitation workers engaged with the Railways;

(b) whether they have been provided proactive gear and safety devices as per the ‘Prohibition of the Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) the extent of technology used by the Railway to keep its toilets and tracks clean as an attempt to prohibit manual intervention;

(e) whether the Railways has any time bound plan to prohibit manual intervention in this job by usage of technology; and

(f) If so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2871 BY SHRIMATI RANJEET RANJAN, SHRI GAURAV GOGOI AND SHRI RAJESH RANJAN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 16.12.2015 REGARDING SANITATION WORKERS

(a): There are 26694 sanitation staff/workers on the rolls of Zonal Railways.

(b) & (c): Yes, Madam. The staff engaged in cleaning activities on stations and for Coach toilet cleaning, are provided with prescribed protective gears and devices as per the Prohibition of the Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013. For example, Uniform along with water protective apron, Face mask/Nose mask, Gloves, Shoes, Floor mopper/Broom with long handle, Toilet commode brush/hand brush or any equipment for removal of choking of toilets used in coaches and any other mechanized equipments identified by Railways for this purpose.

(d): Mechanical cleaning and cleaning with protective gear is adopted for ensuring sanitation at stations and to have an effective waste disposal system, concrete washable aprons on platform tracks with jet cleaning arrangement are being provided. High pressure jet machines, electrical scrubbers, vacuum cleaners etc. are used to keep coach toilets clean and to prohibit direct manual intervention.

(e) & (f): In view of the use of prescribed protective gears and devices, direct manual intervention is avoided.
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