Manual Scavenging: Work that Kills

-RETHIGA R

Introduction

Manual scavenging is characterized as “cleaning human excreta physically’, at private homes

and latrines by municipal authorities. These scavengers used to collect human excreta in cane
baskets then carry on their heads, shoulders, or against their hips, to finally unload them into
dumping sites or water bodies. Also, manual scavenging is termed as a ‘worst surviving symbol
of untouchability’.

Apart from this, many scavengers are employed to collect, carry, and dispose of excreta from
sewers, septic tanks, drains, and railway tracks.”

• The major problem in India is the stigmatized caste system.

• Sanitation works are hazardous, stigmatizing, and most importantly underpaid.

• Sanitation works have a highly unfavourable and hazardous working environment.

• Roughly 5 million sanitation workers across India.

Driven by caste

The practice of manual scavenging is driven by caste, class, and income divisions.

"One of modern India’s great shames is the official failure to eradicate ‘manual
scavenging’, the most degrading surviving practice of untouchability in the country." -
Harsh Mander.

• The number of individuals murdered while cleaning sewers and septic tanks have
expanded over the past couple of years. 2019 saw the highest number of manual
scavenging deaths within the past five years. 110 workers were killed while cleaning
sewers and septic tanks physically.
 • Also, in some northern parts of India, so-called lower caste people were forced to clean
latrines and drainages by so-called upper caste people.

Contractual Sanitation workers

• From the early 1990s, government jobs could also be given on contract, thus privatizing
contractual sanitation workers.

• Sanitation workers on contract mostly belong to the so-called lower caste, Scheduled
Caste (SC) category. 

• The terms of the contract are minimalist, and a contractor feels liberal to enhance his
share of the contract with impunity, by nibbling away the worker’s share.

• No proper norms are given by the government to the contractors.

• Rape and sexual harassment of women sanitation workers.

• Barred from acquiring education.

Causes of manual scavenging

• Poverty

• Incomplete rehabilitation

• Lack of employment opportunities

• Social stigmatization

• Denial of the existence of manual scavengers.

Other Diseases

 A major health concern is a musculoskeletal disorder such as osteoarthritis.

  The workers in the sewer also come in contact with discharges from rodents that are
found in the sewers and may be infected with leptospirosis.

 Other health-related problems also include dermatitis, helicobacter pylori infection that
causes gastric cancer, and respiratory problems.

 Exposure to infections in the sewer due to the numerous bacteria and viruses residing in
the sewers.

Death of manual scavengers

• 110 workers died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

• The death of manual scavengers increased by 61% as compared to 2018.

• Long exposure to hydrogen disulfide can lead to death by various problems such as
respiratory problems and many more.

• An organization called SKA has recorded almost 1790 reported deaths of manual
scavengers over the past decade.

• However, after 2013, the government of India recognized 12,742 manual scavengers in
13 states, with 82% of them in Uttar Pradesh.

• Six people died every month consistently in the last five years while cleaning sewers and
septic tanks.

• The report says that 2019 recorded the highest number of manual scavenger’s death.

Government initiatives

The employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrine Act, 1993.

• The Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines

Act, 2013.

• The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and the Rehabilitation Bill, 2020.
Judicial intervention

 The Prohibition and Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act,
2013, forbids a wide range of work that power people to draw in with human excreta in
any structure physically.
 This act doesn’t have any provisions related to the death of manual scavengers.
 Rs. 10 Lakh compensation should be provided for the victim’s family members. Also, a
report says that the compensation has been provided to 100 families out of a total of more
than 600 deaths. This shows the efficiency of the whole system.
 Despite the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines
(Prohibition) Act, 1993 and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and
their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, still manual scavenging continues at large in India.
 The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), the statutory body that was set
up by the Parliament for the welfare of sanitation workers.
 According to data collated by Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA), an organization working
for the eradication of manual scavenging has recorded 83 sewer deaths across India in
2018 alone.
 Supreme Court of India ruled that the practice of manual scavengers violates the
international human rights law including the protections found in UDHR.

 India is also a part of these two convections,

ICERD -The International Convections on Elimination of all Forms of Racial

Discrimination;

CEDAW -The International Convection on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination

Against Women.

Despite all such constitutional rights and legal frameworks, manual scavengers remain victims of
discrimination and are killed in sewers at large.
COVID -19 and Sanitation Workers:

• Sanitation workers are the backbone of the waste management system, especially during
this pandemic situation.

• Most of them work under inhumane conditions — without safety gear and social security,
which directly increases the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

• Supreme Court has ordered every state government to provide proper safety gears to the
sanitation workers.

• Sanitation workers need Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs), minimum wages, food,
insurance, accommodation, and transportation like other health workers, mechanization
of the work, and solidarity.

• The Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines

Act, 2013 (Under sections 4 and 5 of the rules) mandates that the person getting the job
done must provide workers with ‘protective gear’.

A Hero from the South: G. S. Lakshmanan Iyer:

He was the primary reason why Gobichettipalayam, (Erode district) was the first-ever city in
India to ban the Manual scavenging system. He exempts many Dalits from money debts, ensured
that they lived in comfortable houses on clean, wide streets, and built modern toilets.

The voicing agency:

• The International Labor Organization is working with the Government and social
partners, NGOs in India to address the discrimination of Dalits in five selected states.

• The main objective of the project is to support the government’s efforts to improve the
effectiveness of legislation and policies which pertain to the issue related to manual
scavenging.
Technical interventions:

• Water Supply and Sewage Board of Hyderabad is currently utilizing mini jetting
machines to clean choked water pipes in the narrow alleys.

• In Kerala, engineers have designed robots that can clean septic tanks.

• The use of anaerobic bacteria to treat human excreta has been explored (anaerobic
digestion).

Manual scavenging during Modi’s government:

In the 2014 campaign, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the importance of the sanitation system
saying that building toilets are more important than building temples. Also, he said that he will
put an end to manual scavenging.

In 2018, 105 people were killed in sewer and septic tank. He was quiet at that point in time, but
on February 24, 2019. Modi after performing Ganga Arti in Kumbha Mela had washed the feet
of sanitation workers. He also added that washing the feet of sanitation workers and seeking their
blessings had touched him and he vowed to continue to work for them. But till now he hasn’t
done anything for manual scavengers.

Conclusion:

Manual scavenging: A job that stinks and suffocates.

Instead of killing innocent people to create a clean environment. We can rather use robots or
highly equipped machines to clean human wastes. Though we’ve so many laws for the
prohibition and rehabilitation of manual scavengers. Manual scavenging continues at a large-
scale all-over India.