GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 55
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2021
DEATH OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS
55. SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details and the total number of people who have died due to sewer cleaning/entering into sewers across the country during the last five years, State-wise including Maharashtra;
(b) whether the Government has formulated any new plan to prevent manual cleaning of sewers and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the fresh steps taken by the Government to provide modern equipment, training and uniform to the people engaged in sewer cleaning?
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ANSWER
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ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)
(A): State- wise details of persons who are reported to have died while cleaning sewers during the last five years upto 31.12.2020 are at Annexure.
(b): A National Policy for mechanized Sanitation Eco-system has been formulated in consultation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Drinking water and Sanitation which envisages, inter alia, the following:
i. Appointment of Responsible Sanitation Authority in every District.
ii. Setting up of Sanitation (SRU) Response unit in each municipality.
iii. Equipping SRUs with necessary devices, machines and vehicles required for mechanized cleaning.
iv. Professionally trained manpower for mechanized cleaning.
v. 24x7 helpline to receive complaints regarding blockage of sewers and septic tanks.
vi. Setting up facilities for evacuation, transportation and treatment of sludge from septic tanks.
vii. Training to the staff of municipalities and contractors in the mechanized cleaning of sewers/septic tanks.
(c): National Safai Karmacharis Finance and Development Corporation is implementing a Scheme, "Swachhata Udyami Yojana” under which loans are provided to manual scavengers, safai karamcharis engaged in hazardous cleaning and their dependents to procure mechanised equipment upto the cost of Rs.5 lakhs with a subsidy of 50%.
NSKFDC is providing upskilling training to safai karamcharis to improve their skilling potential for handling mechanised equipment.
Under the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013” the employer who engages the workers for cleaning sewers / septic tanks is obliged to provide the safety gear, devices and ensure safety precautions as prescribed in the Rules.
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Annexure
Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred question No. 55 for answer on 02.02.2021 regarding death of manual scavengers.
Details of cases of death of persons died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks during the last five years as reported by the States/Union Territories upto 31.12.2020.
Sl. No. Name of State/UT Total Number of sewer deaths
1 Andhra Pradesh 16
2 Bihar 8
3 Chhatisgarh 1
4 Chandigarh 3
5 Delhi 36
6 Goa 2
7 Gujarat 31
8 Haryana 31
9 Karnataka 24
10 Kerala 3
11 Maharashtra 34
12 Madhya Pradesh 2
13 Punjab 17
14 Rajasthan 18
15 Tamil Nadu 43
16 Telangana 4
17 Tripura 2
18 Uttar Pradesh 52
19 West Bengal 13
Total 340
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