Article | Sanitation
Manual Scavenging
A Blot on Modern Civilisation Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing human excreta from dry latrines, septic tanks and sewers. It often involves using the most basic tools such as buckets, brooms and baskets. Although underreported, this is one of the biggest issues that points to the existence of caste discrimination in Indian society Akshit Pushkarna Editorial Assist ant
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he archaic practice still results in multiple unwarranted deaths across the country. The ‘profession’ is one of the most unsafe ways to make a living across the world. Supreme Court, on September 18, 2019, said about manual scavenging, “In no country, people are sent to gas chambers to die. Every month four to five persons are losing their lives in manual scavenging”, equating sewers to gas chambers. As the scavengers enter the narrow, deep septic tanks or sewers, which are filled with poisonous gases, without any protective gear, it is often the case that they end up getting trapped and suffocate to death in human excreta.
More than half a million people are employed at present in this profession even after it was banned by the Indian government in 1993. The ban was further reinforced with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, but with little effect as the illegal occupation still results in hundreds of deaths each year. Many NGOs and help groups work for the betterment and rehabilitation of the scavengers. A prominent figure amongst them is Bezwada Wilson and his Safai Karamchari Andolan. We spoke with him regarding the issue. The Magsaysay awardee believes that if the government diligently works towards ending this malpractice,it can be eradicated. He believes that the divide in Indian society still hurts our country as a large sectuon of the population is employed in the profession of scavenging works in inhumane condition. “Scavenging clearly violates Article 21 of the Indian Constitution which gives every
citizen a right to live with human dignity and decency”, Wilson said. As the malpractice is prevalent in India for a long time, we asked him about the ‘profession’ in modern India. “Manual scavenging is still going on strongly, so much so that the deaths in septic tank are reported regularly. The malpractice is only brought to light when deaths are reported which is a classic discrepancy in Indian psyche. We should focus more on the eradication of the profession as a whole. Cases are registered where people jump in manholes without proper gear. The fact that even women are employed like this is disturbing”, he said. Scavenging is more common in rural India as adequate sewerage systems are not available. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the government’s flagship program encouraging sanitation across the country and making India open defecation free, saw the installation of millions of toilets across India. This could lead to an increase in demand for manual scavengers as highlighted by “Health, Safety and Dignity of Sanitation Workers: An Initial Assessment”, a 2019 report published by the World Health Organisation, International Labour Organization, the World Bank and WaterAid.”The concerns around sanitation work seem to be growing, given the large number of toilets that have been constructed under the ongoing Swachh Bharat Mission, using technologies that would require periodic emptying and offsite treatment of faecal matter,” the report says. Wilson was also critical of the sanitation program from the perspective of manual scavenging. “The main problem here is toilets have been constructed yet effective sewage disposal system has not been developed. The problem of open defecation is far more prevalent in rural areas than urban areas. Same is the case for manual scavenging. Proper sewerage system must be implemented at grass root level for effective implementation
Bezwada Wilson, National Convener, Safai Karamchari Andolan
40 February 2020 | www.urbanupdate.in
