SC bans Manual Scavenging & Manual Sewer Cleaning

The Supreme Court ordered a complete stop to the practice of manual scavenging and hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks in top metros across the country.

What is Manual Scavenging?

• Manual scavenging is a deeply stigmatized and hazardous practice where individuals manually clean human excreta from dry latrines, sewers or septic tanks.
• This practice, considered a grave violation of human dignity and health, is a form of forced labor that exposes workers to severe health risks.
• In India, manual scavenging is primarily associated with caste-based discrimination, as it is overwhelmingly carried out by Dalits.
• India formally banned this practice through the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR).
• Despite the ban, the practice persists in some regions, mainly due to lack of enforcement, societal inequalities, and inadequate alternatives for those involved in this work.

Why Does Manual Scavenging Continue Despite the Ban?

• Lack of Enforcement of Laws: Despite legal measures and the requirement for safety gear (44 types), the enforcement of laws is weak.
  • Data from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reveals that between 2018 and 2023, over 400 people died while performing manual scavenging.

• Limited Employment Opportunities and Social Exclusion: For many manual scavengers, limited access to education and skill development keeps them trapped in poverty.
  • Without alternative employment options, these workers have no choice but to continue in this hazardous occupation.
  • Social Exclusion of these communities exacerbates the problem, leaving them without social and economic mobility.
• Unequal social structure:Indian society’s deeply unequal social structure based on caste hierarchy and patriarchy is equally culpable. 97% of manual scavengers in India are Dalits.
• Rich segment:Moreover, the moral culpability equally lies with the ‘neo-middle’ and other affluent classes who have been so engulfed in their own lives that they do not care about the issue or question the government and ensure accountability.
• Media:The media too can be blamed, for not giving adequate importance to social issues such as manual scavenging.
• Dry Latrines: There are still 2,600,000 dry-latrines in the country which require humans to remove the excreta from them, almost 770,000 manual scavengers who physically clean the sewers and drains and about 8,025 manual scavengers operating at railway stations in the country.

Required Steps to Eradicate Manual Scavenging

• Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Skill Development: To eliminate manual scavenging, it is essential to rehabilitate workers through skill development programs, empowering them to find alternative employment. Connecting rehabilitation efforts to existing schemes like MNREGA can provide immediate income opportunities.
• Embrace Technology: Modern sanitation technologies such as automated sewer cleaning machines and robots can significantly reduce the dependence on human labour for cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
  • For example: Homosep Atom solves manual cleaning methods and transforms it to robotic cleaning methods. 
• Collaboration Between Government and Civil Society: Both the state and society need to join forces to eliminate manual scavenging. The government must strengthen the enforcement of laws, and civil society should advocate for the rights of sanitation workers. Efforts should focus on ensuring dignity, safety, and social integration for these workers.