Question : Stoping the Practice of Manual Scavenging

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1066
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2022

STOPING THE PRACTICE OF MANUAL SCAVENGING
1066. SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA:
SHRI T.R. BAALU:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether our country is unable to eradicate manual scavenging, the medieval practice that forces workers to clean waste and faeces by hand, if so, the details thereof, and if not, the reasons therefor;
(b) whether Government is making any efforts to stop the degrading practice of manual scavenging which still continues at some places despite claims of it being eliminated; and
(c) If so, the efforts made/being made by the Government for rehabilitation of people engaged in manual scavenging?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

(a) & (b): There is no report of people currently engaged in manual scavenging in the country. Manual scavenging as defined under Section 2 (1) (g) of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)” is prohibited with effect from 6.12.2013. No person or agency can engage or employ any person for manual scavenging from the above date. Any person or agency who engages any person for manual scavenging in violation of the provisions of the MS Act, 2013 is punishable under Section 8 of the above Act, with imprisonment upto 2 years or fine upto Rs. One Lakh or both.

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, since October 2, 2014, more than 10.88 crore sanitary toilets have been constructed in rural areas and over 62.64 lakh in urban areas and insanitary toilets have been converted into sanitary toilets. This work made a huge contribution towards ending the practice of manual scavenging. After receiving reports from the social institutions working in this field, about continuation of this practice, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a mobile app “Swachhata Abhiyaan” on 24.12.2020 to capture the data of insanitary latrines still existing and manual scavengers associated with them. Any person can upload the data of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers on the mobile app. Thereafter, the data is verified by the concerned district administration. However, not a single insanitary latrine has been confirmed so far.

(c): Government is implementing a Central Sector Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS). The following are the provisions for providing assistance to the identified manual scavengers for their rehabilitation:-

i. One Time Cash Assistance of Rs. 40,000/- to one identified manual scavenger in the family.
ii. Skill Development Training of manual scavengers and their dependants upto two years with stipend @ Rs. 3,000/- per month during the training period.
iii. Capital Subsidy upto Rs. 5.00 lakh for those who availed loans for Self Employment Projects including sanitation related projects.
iv. Health insurance under Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to the families of all the identified manual scavengers.
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