{"id":36462,"date":"2025-01-30T19:18:41","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=36462"},"modified":"2025-01-30T19:18:42","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:48:42","slug":"sc-bans-manual-scavenging-in-six-metropolitan-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/30-01-2025\/sc-bans-manual-scavenging-in-six-metropolitan-cities","title":{"rendered":"SC Bans Manual Scavenging In Six Metropolitan Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Social Issue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court passed directions banning manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities in a writ petition seeking the<strong> eradication of manual scavenging in India.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Manual Scavenging?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, and disposing of human excreta from dry latrines, open drains, sewers, and septic tanks. It is a <strong>hazardous and degrading occupation<\/strong> that primarily affects marginalized communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Status of Manual Scavenging in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>443 deaths due to manual scavenging were reported between 2018 and 2023, according to the <strong>Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Delhi alone, an RTI response revealed 94 deaths over the past 15 years, with only one conviction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As of 2024, 97% of manual scavengers belong to Scheduled Castes (SCs):\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>42,594 SCs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>421 Scheduled Tribes (STs)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>431 Other Backward Classes (OBCs)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Issues and Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Despite the<strong> legal ban<\/strong>, manual scavenging persists, often <strong>disguised under informal employment arrangements.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many workers are hired on a contractual basis, <strong>bypassing legal protections.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rehabilitation efforts under the 2013 Act have<strong> been poorly implemented.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many sanitation workers continue to<strong> <\/strong>die due to <strong>exposure to toxic gases <\/strong>in sewers and septic tanks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mechanization of sewer cleaning is slow<\/strong>, forcing laborers to continue dangerous manual work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The practice remains deeply linked to <strong>caste discrimination<\/strong>, as it primarily affects Dalit communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Laws and Regulations Against Manual Scavenging<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013: <\/strong>Prohibits manual scavenging in all forms.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Criminalizes the employment of manual scavengers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandates the mechanization of sewer cleaning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supreme Court Interventions: <\/strong>In<strong> Safai Karamchari Andolan v. Union of India (2014), <\/strong>the SC directed the government to provide compensation of ten lakh rupees to the families of deceased manual scavengers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 2020, the Court ordered stricter implementation of mechanized sewer cleaning to prevent further deaths.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Constitutional Provisions:\u00a0 Article 17<\/strong> (abolishes untouchability), <strong>Article 21 <\/strong>(guarantees the right to life and dignity), <strong>Article 23<\/strong> (prohibits forced labor), and <strong>Article 42 <\/strong>(Humane working conditions for all workers).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives and Policies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>NAMASTE Scheme (2023):<\/strong> Focuses on the mechanization of sewer cleaning.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provides skill training and alternative employment opportunities for sanitation workers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: <\/strong>Aims to replace dry latrines with modern sanitation facilities.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourages the use of mechanized cleaning equipment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS): <\/strong>Provides financial assistance of forty thousand rupees along with skill training.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Full enforcement of the 2013 Act with strict penalties for violations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Faster adoption of mechanized cleaning methods (using robots and machines) to eliminate the need for manual labor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: TH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court passed directions banning manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities in a writ petition seeking the eradication of manual scavenging in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36462"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36463,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36462\/revisions\/36463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}