Ending Manual Scavenging

• 24 Jul 2025

For Prelims: Manual Scavenging, NAMASTE Scheme, Article 17, Article 21, Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Hepatitis, Tetanus, Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM-DAKSH, MGNREGA.                    

For Mains: Key challenges faced by manual scavengers and steps taken to address them. Additional measures needed to end manual scavenging. 

Source: TH   

Why in News? 

A Ministry of Social Justice study analyzed 54 hazardous cleaning deaths linked to manual scavenging (out of 150 nationwide) across 8 States/UTs during 2022–2023. 

What are the Key Findings of the Study? 

• Lack of Safety Gear: In 90% of cases (49 out of 54), no safety equipment was provided. The rest had minimal protection—gloves in 5 cases and gloves with gumboots in 1. 
  • Most deaths occurred in the absence of mechanized equipment such as suction pumps or robotic cleaners. 
• Institutional Negligence: In most cases, agencies lacked equipment readiness, and awareness drives were either absent or incomplete, even in places where they were conducted. 
• No Informed Consent: Many workers entered sewers without consent, and even when written consent was taken, they were not informed of associated risks. 
• Exploitative Hiring Practices: Most workers were hired informally on individual contracts, with only a few as direct government or outsourced PSU employees.  

What is Manual Scavenging and the Legal Framework Addressing It? 

• About: Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually handling or cleaning human excreta, often from insanitary toilets, open drains, pits, or railway tracks.  
• Current Status: According to the government, manual scavenging has officially ended, and the current challenge lies in addressing the issue of hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. 
  • The NAMASTE scheme has identified 84,902 sewer and septic tank workers across 36 States and Union Territories in India. 
• Violation of Fundamental Rights: Manual scavenging violates fundamental rights, particularly Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) and Article 21 (right to life with dignity). 
• Legal Framework:  
  • Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR): India banned it under the PEMSR Act, 2013, which prohibits any individual from manually handling human excreta in any form until its final disposal.  
    • The Act identifies manual scavenging as a dehumanizing practice. 
  • SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989: It criminalizes the employment of Scheduled Castes in manual scavenging. 
• Supreme Court (SC) Guidelines: In Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (2023), the SC directed the Union and State governments to eliminate manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning across the country. SC guidelines included: 
  • Rehabilitation: Rs 30 lakh for deaths, Rs 10–20 lakh for disabilities, plus jobs for kin and education for dependents. 
  • Accountability: Penalties and contract cancellations for negligence. 
  • NALSA: To oversee compensation disbursement and create standard models. 
  • Transparency: Launch of a portal to track deaths, compensation, and rehabilitation. 

What are the Key Challenges Faced by Manual Scavengers? 

• Health Risks: Exposure to human waste and toxic gases like hydrogen sulphide makes manual scavengers vulnerable to Hepatitis, Tetanus, Cholera, and asphyxiation. 
• Social Stigma: Seen as untouchables, they face caste-based discrimination, reinforcing social exclusion and the caste system 
• Economic Challenges: Paid below minimum wage, often on contractual/daily-wage basis, with no job security or social protection, trapping them in poverty. 
• Double Discrimination: Women face gender-based exploitation, including sexual harassment, abuse, and economic inequality. 
• Psychological Issues: Social stigma and poor work conditions cause anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. 
• Substance Abuse: Many turn to drug use to cope with stress, humiliation, and physical hardship, worsening their health.

India’s Initiatives to Curb Manual Scavenging 

• NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) 
• Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge  
• Swachhta Abhiyan App   
• National Commission for Safai Karamchari  
• Technological Initiatives: 
  • Bandicoot Robot: Remotely or autonomously cleans and unclogs sewer lines. 
  • Endobot & Swasth AI: Detect and prevent pipeline issues like contamination and overflows. 
  • Vacuum Trucks: Remove sewage using powerful suction, avoiding manual entry. 

What Effective Measures can be Taken to End Manual Scavenging in India? 

• Strict Enforcement of Laws: Strictly enforce the PEMSR Act, 2013 with stringent penalties for violators, treat sewer deaths as culpable homicide, and ensure compensation in line with Supreme Court directives. 
• Complete Mechanization: Ensure 100% mechanized cleaning with suction pumps, jetting machines, and robots by funding equipment procurement under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and equipping all urban local bodies. 
• Rehabilitation & Alternative Livelihoods: Train manual scavengers under PM-DAKSH for roles in waste management, and machine operation, with preferential hiring in urban bodies under MGNREGA. 
• Health Screenings: Conduct regular health screenings for sanitation workers in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), focusing on respiratory and skin-related ailments, along with defined treatment and prevention protocols. 

Conclusion 

Manual scavenging persists despite legal bans, exposing systemic failures in enforcement, mechanization, and rehabilitation. Strict implementation of laws, complete mechanization, and dignified alternative livelihoods are crucial to eradicate this dehumanizing practice. Political will, technology adoption, and societal change must converge to uphold sanitation workers' rights and dignity under India's constitutional framework.

Drishti Mains Question:

Analyze the social and economic challenges faced by manual scavengers and suggest a sustainable rehabilitation roadmap. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)  

Prelims

Q. ‘Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan’ is a national campaign to (2016)  

(a) rehabilitate the homeless and destitute persons and provide them with suitable sources of livelihood  

(b) release the sex workers from their practice and provide them with alternative sources of livelihood  

(c) eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavengers  

(d) release the bonded labourers from their bondage and rehabilitate them  

Ans: (c)

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Mains

Q. What are the impediments in disposing of the huge quantities of discarded solid waste which are continuously being generated? How do we safely remove the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment? (2018) 

Q. “To ensure effective implementation of policies addressing the water,sanitation and hygiene needs the identification of the beneficiary segments is to be synchronized with anticipated outcomes.” Examine the statement in the context of the WASH scheme. (2017)